


On The Case

by karxmels



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Mystery, Police, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2020-06-26 02:09:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 22,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19758445
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karxmels/pseuds/karxmels
Summary: 'Life is an enigma, and they were the ones to face it.'Kara Danvers was born in a rich family. Her father owned D-Tech, a technology company. She used to live with her parents, Jeremiah and Eliza Danvers, and her younger sister, Alex. When the time came, she'd be the owner of the company, and the heir of all the wealth her family possessed. However, she gave all of that up, to scape the corruption, to live a normal life and to be a journalist. Her father wasn't very pleased to hear that, leaving them both in a not so good situation.After a tragedy happened and the police almost despised her case, Mike Matthews, one of the cops, offered to take care of it.  They will both dig deep into the darkness that was Mr. Danvers life and try to solve the mystery.What will they have to deal with? What will the digging arouse in Mike and Kara? Will something else happen between them?Characters rights reserved to DCTV and CW.





	1. 𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝑂𝑁𝐸

Kara was at her apartment, cleaning and trying to make it presentable. Not because she would have someone there, not because she was trying to impress anyone. Because she wanted to prove to herself that she could keep peace and order on her own. The place was just like her. Bright, cozy and messy, but with the lightest atmosphere. She had had a hard time trying to find it but after a while, she did. She took her time decorating it and making sure it was perfect. She had wanted a fresh start.

Daughter of the owner of D-Tech, a company specialized in the development of new technologies, Kara Danvers was twenty-six years old. All of that meant that when the time came, she would heir her family's affluence, the whole corporation and become just like her father, Jeremiah Danvers.

He, himself, had always made that clear to her. However, she never saw herself in his place. She could never picture herself, a young girl with ocean blue eyes, fashion taste combined with her blonde, wavy hair, which she liked to wear differently every day, behind a desk working on projects, business or whatever was done in there. She found that universe really impressive, but was never really interested in it, leading to her never paying attention whenever her father tried to teach her anything marketing or engineering related. That wasn't her.

Shyness, persistence and a hint of rebellion framed her personality. Going against her parents' will, she studied journalism, claiming it was just a back up plan if the business failed, but she knew better than that. She knew her calling, she wanted to be able to tell people’s stories, put the truth before anything, always. She wanted to make a difference. She knew the darkness of a wealthy life. Money could corrupt people, turn them into selfish, closed versions of themselves. She had watched her father slowly drowning in those concepts. Luckily, her mother Eliza had always made up to that. She taught unconsciously both Kara and her younger sister, Alex, not to be easily influenced and to protect their hearts, their biggest treasure. Kara was waiting patiently for an opportunity to sneak out of that life, and live on her own.

And that was what she did. Not long before, she had found a job and a place, not very big, but affordable. She knew her parents would turn against her, but deep down she wished they would be happy for her. She had gotten a job as reporter at Catco Worldwide Media, and she couldn't be happier about it. Reporting was her calling, helping people was her calling. That was her, she was sure. The only thing holding her back was leaving her sister, but she knew she would survive, she was strong. Alex was twenty-two years old, she had short, brown hair, dyed reddish, brown eyes and was still in college. She worked as an intern at their father's company and she was really easygoing, in a good way. She was never nervous or anxious, and she never gave too much importance to the past or to the future. "Past is in the past, future is not settled yet, what matters is the present", she used to say. Kara always admired that ability of hers.

And so she left. Her decision made things with her father awful, they had a huge argument and never spoke to each other again. She said goodbye to her sister and mother, knowing Alex supported her, but also knowing that she had let her mother down. 

After two months she decided it was time to see her sister again. They both had kept contact, but didn't see each other in person until then, and being separate for that long had caused Kara’s missing her sibling grow each day

On the way to her previous house, Kara thought about how she would avoid her parents. Her father would be easy, he spent the whole day and night in his office, sometimes home, sometimes at the main facility. Her mother would be harder. She worked with business paper, mostly at home and she would probably be the one to open the door and greet her, since it was Saturday, and none of the employees worked after midday on Saturdays.

When Kara got there, she took a glance at the house. More like a mansion, she thought. She couldn't believe she survived twenty-five years there. The sight sent a shiver up her spine. She felt goosebumps on her arms. It was truly a vision worthy of a horror movie. She took some steps forward and rang the bell. After a while someone opened the door, and she saw it was her mom, just like she had predicted.

"Kara," Eliza greeted, lips forming a straight line. Despite her apparent indifference, Kara could see the love and longing in Eliza’s eyes. She was taken aback, but quickly recomposed herself.

"Mom... I came to see Alex, is she here?" Kara asked, reciprocating the same numbness her mother gave her.

"Yes, I'll call her," Eliza said going to the stairs. "Alex, your sister is here." She said loudly, but not once losing elegance. 

Alex came rushing through the stairs, so fast that Kara thought she could've fallen. She ran to her sister and hugged her tightly, making her giggle. Her face was crushed against Kara’s chest, her breathing heavy from the quick run.

"I missed you too," Kara said, smiling.

"What took you so long?" Alex questioned, searching for her sister’s face.

"Ahh you know... I took time settling myself up... getting used to the new life..." Kara answered, shaking her head.

"Yeah okay..." Alex didn't buy it. She knew her sister too well.

They saw Jeremiah coming out of his office. When he noticed Kara, he stopped on his track and stared. Then he continued his way to them.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, frowning angrily.

"Relax. I just came to see Alex, but I can leave," Kara responded, defiantly.

"No! Dad please, she's your daughter," Alex begged, voice cracking, distressed.

"Yeah you know, the moment reality hits, the moment you realize how wonderful your life was, how you had everything before you left, you will come back. Write my words," Jeremiah provoked, raising his tone at each word.

"I doubt that. But if you say so..." Kara replied, crossing her arms and raising her brow.

"Enough," Eliza said, bringing a hand to rub her temple. That's when they saw all the lights turning off. Fear and anxiety flooded through Kara's body, but she remained calm and strong on the outside. "ALEX, KARA! GET OUT OF HERE!"


	2. 𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝑇𝑊𝑂

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> and that was what she was  
> going to do, despite anything  
> that got in her way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May contain violent content!

"ALEX, KARA! GET OUT OF HERE!" Kara and Alex had never heard their mother so terrified.

They heard what seemed to be heavy breathing and steps from somewhere near. Neither of the sisters had an idea of what was happening, but they thought it would be better to follow Eliza's advice.

Kara quickly grabbed Alex's hand and ran to the nearest exit she knew. She was panting, fighting against everything not to give in and let her anxiety take control. They both stood outside, feeling the fresh rain falling over their heads, and the fear that insecurity and uncertainty had brought. They had never seen anything like that happen in the Danvers mansion. Kara decided to call the police, to prevent anything worse from happening, and they told her they were on their way.

Kara brought her younger sister closer, pulling her in a hug. The 22 year-old buried her face under Kara's chin and cried a little bit. They had no idea their life was about to change forever, yet, they had a feeling something bad was about to happen. Nevertheless, they were together, and that was all that mattered. Kara tried to calm down all the while stroking Alex’s arm gently, wanting to bring some peace. The bad thoughts were overpowering the positive ones she tried to force her brain into forming, but she kept fighting. That's when they heard a gunshot. Both women were startled by it and looked shocked at each other. Kara felt the panic rising beneath her skin, but she followed her sister, who ran impulsively towards the house, which had just been entirely lit up again.

As soon as they entered the house, they spotted their mother in the ground crying, covered in red, leaning towards their father, who was dead above a blood pool. His eyes were wide opened, his skin looked pale.

Kara was paralyzed. She didn't cry, she didn't move. Not even when her sister broke down in tears on her shoulder. She couldn't believe what happened, nor could she understand it. She was trying to convince herself it was a dream, all she had to do was to wake up. But it didn't work, in her mind, nothing she could possibly try would work. That's when she took consciousness of what had just occurred.

"Hhh-ow? What hhh-appp-pened?" She asked her mother with an unstable voice, taking her hands to her mouth.

"I don't- I don't know... I- I couldn't sss-ee anything... I only heard the shot." Eliza gulped. "When I saw it he was already- he was already on the floor, ddd-ead." She explained, sobbing. Kara took a deep breath.

"They got away?" Alex aksed, her eyes were moving frantically, scanning the house desperately. Eliza nodded unsteadily.

"I'm gonna catch whoever did this. And he's gonna pay." Kara said, determined. Both her mother and sister looked at her, their looks showing they weren’t approving of the idea.

"Kar-" Eliza started, but they were cut off by the police sirens getting close.

"I called them." Kara clarified.

* * *

The days went by and the Danvers women's life continued. The three of them were handling the situation in very different ways.

Eliza had completely shutdown. She wouldn't smile, barely would she speak. And if anyone touched the subject she would find an excuse to walk away. Since Kara had waived her spot as CEO and owner of the famous D-Tech, Eliza drowned herself in work, taking both roles and turning her life exclusively around the business. Alex tried talking to her and persuading her into seeing what she was becoming, but nothing really worked.

Kara was consumed by the guilt, the guilt of disappointing her father and arguing with him. He was gone, and she never fixed things between them. He died hating her and her choices, and she felt that a hole had been formed in her chest. She needed to make up for that. The anger was growing inside her. She was angry with every single aspect in the world. She was angry with the police, for not getting there sooner. She was mad at her mother, for not knowing anything, for not giving enough information. She was mad at herself, for letting that happen, for leaving the house. She was even angry with her father, for dying. She needed to dig and find whoever murdered him, and that was what she was going to do, despite anything that got in her way.

Out of the three Danvers women, Alex was handling the situation the best. She had a very unique life philosophy, she believed that everything happened for a reason and that people couldn’t change what already happened, therefore they should focus on getting over the tragic situations life brings the healthiest way possible. Alex, particularly, chose to do what she loved to do. Take a one-week break at college and at the company and use the time for herself. She went to yoga, read, watched movies and tv shows and did what she loved the most, cooking. She wanted to have done everything with her sister, but Kara claimed she was too busy working on putting together all the information she had on their fathers death. Alex would eventually talk to her sister, tell her to relax and get some rest, but at that moment she knew she should give her space. Everyone dealt with grief differently.

* * *

Kara went to the police station to hand in all the information she had and ask for help in her case. When she got there, she demanded to speak with the captain. A tall, muscular man came in her direction, and she supposed that was him.

"Kara Danvers?" He asked with a deep voice.

"Yeah." She answered, straightening her spine.

"I'm Captain Colen. I was told you wanted to talk to me?" He asked, after shaking her hand.

"Yes. So you must've heard now that my father was murdered some days ago... I came here to ask for your help to find his murderer, and give you the information I have so far. Unfortunately, it's not that much." She explained. The captain gave a look at the papers she handed him. Since neither her nor her mother and sister, the only people who witnessed the tragedy, knew much about the case, all Kara could find fit two pages and a half.

"I'm afraid to tell you, Miss Danvers, that what you're handing me is not enough evidence to build a case. This could've been just a thief who tried to rob your house and was scared by the security sistem activating, turning the lights off. Then he shot your father. I think I cannot help you right now, there are more important cases we need to deal with." Captain Colen said, leaving Kara outraged.

"More important cases..." She laughed. "My father died! He died, and you're telling me you're not gonna dig to find his killer? This guy can be out there, he's dangerous!" She exclaimed, trying to get a different answer. When she saw no change in his expression, she decided to try another tactic.

"You know what, forget it. Im going to figure this out myself, and after that, I'm gonna end you. I'm gonna write about you and destroy your reputation until no one in this city trusts you anymore." She threatened, pointing her finger towards him, not once losing control over her emotions, but caging them deep inside her chest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Hope you're enjoying this so far. I'm aware these first chapters are very short, even to my liking. They were written a while ago, I promise it'll get better with time. Comment you're thoughts!


	3. 𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝑇𝐻𝑅𝐸𝐸

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> watching as she left,  
> thinking of how much she  
> reminded him of himself.

After threatening the captain, Kara stared at him, narrowing her eyes, waiting for a reaction. She couldn't help but feel unsure about the way she was handling the situation. If she failed to persuade him, solving the case by herself would be a lot harder, and take much longer. The two of them remained in silence, until an officer who seemed to be Kara's age approached them.

"Can I have a word, Captain?" He asked. He had been listening to their conversation and thought he could help both his boss and the lady. He had dark blue eyes, brown hair and his body was noticeably shaped.

"Matthews, what have I told you about interrupting me when I'm talking to someone?" Said Colen, through gritted teeth.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I think you should know that this woman is a reporter. I've read some of her articles. She writes about us, we're doomed." Explained the officer.

"What do you suggest then, it's not like I have time to deal with this, anyway." The captain pointed.

"Well, I'm not busy these few days, I don't have any other case to take care of. Why don't you leave me in charge of this one?" He suggested.

"Absolutely not. You're not qualified enough." Captain Colen answered, unfazed.

"Oh, come on. You've been telling me this for two years now, and you've never seen it for yourself. Please, just give me a chance." Begged the cop. The captain seemed to be considering his answer, while Kara watched everything, uncertain about letting the young man help her. She didn’t want the case in the hands of someone who didn’t know what he was doing.

"Fine. But if you mess things up, you're suspended. Fired, if it's too bad." The captain warned. "Is it okay for you, Ms. Danvers?" Kara took a look at the cop, then at the captain. She didn't know if he would be able to help her, but it was her only option so far.

"Better than nothing." She answered, rolling her eyes.

"Great. It's on you, Matthews, start working." Colen said, before leaving. The officer, who had turned his head to see his boss leaving their sight, looked back at Kara, since he hadn't payed attention at her when he first got there. She had a pretty decent look, he thought.

"So, officer Matthews. What's your name?" Kara asked, breaking the silence.

"Mike. Look, I know you weren't expecting me to take care of your case, but I promise you, I'll try my best to help you find the killer. I know what it's like to lose a parent." He stated, trying to show compassion. Kara's watered up as she heard those words. She looked down at the floor, to hold the tears. She shook her head and looked up again.

"You read my articles?" She asked, avoiding the subject.

“I read one. And you're welcome." Mike answered. Kara rolled her eyes again, ignoring him. She thought he was nice, but she wasn't in a good mood that day.

"Where do we start?" She asked.

"Well, if you let me take a look at what you have, I can call you tomorrow and let you know. If that's okay for you..." The man answered.

"Yeah, okay." Kara agreed, handing the papers she had brought. "Thank you." She completed, almost in a whisper, opening a small smile. Mike nodded in response.

Mike stood there, watching as she left, thinking of how much she reminded him of himself. Shaking those thoughts away, he went back to work.

* * *

 ****After going to the police station, Kara went to Catco, to finish her working day, after all, her articles wouldn’t be written on their own.

When she was done, Kara went home, and arriving there, she took away her coat, laying it on the hanger next to the door. She placed her purse on the kitchen table and went to her bedroom to put some pajamas on. That it had been a long day was true, but she didn't feel tired, that's why she decided to call her sister.

Snuggling up on the couch, Kara grabbed her phone and dialed Alex. It rang a few times before she picked it up.

 _"Kara?"_ Alex asked, surprised.

"Hey Alex, I was wondering if you wanted to come over for us to have a sisters night. Like the old times." Kara suggested. Alex, on the other side, smiled, realizing how much she had missed her sister.

 _"I'd love to. But I can't take my car, mom will notice, and I don't think she will allow."_ Alex noted.

"So? Call an Uber. Isn't mom asleep yet? Tomorrow tell her you went to the gym early or something like that." Kara insisted.

 _"God, you're a terrible example."_ Alex said, making them both giggle. _"Okay, I'm on my way."_

"Wait!" Kara exclaimed. "Can you bring some ice cream? I have some here, but I don't think it's enough..."

 _"Sure. Anything else, ma'am?"_ Alex joked.

"No, thank you, Miss." Kara replied, and they shared a quick laugh, before hanging up.

Kara texted her sister the address and then chose some movies to watch. She didn't bother cleaning her apartment, it wasn't that bad, and Alex was family, she thought.

Her sister would be there for the first time, and Kara was excited to have some quality time with her, after everything that happened. About 30 minutes later, she heard a knock at the door, and went open it.

"Hey!" She greeted, hugging her sister. "Did you have trouble finding the place?"

"No, I gave the driver the address and then asked where the nearest market was so I could buy the ice cream." Alex responded, handing her sister a paper bag, with two ice cream boxes in it.

"Thaaaaank you!" Sang Kara, and Alex chuckled. The older sister opened the door entirely, giving Alex the space to enter. "Welcome, to your sister's place!"

"Kara, it's really cute, I'm really happy for you." Alex complimented. Kara smiled widely.

"I ordered pizza, so it should be here soon. Meanwhile, tell me how college's going. Anything you'd like to confess?" Kara asked, raising her eyebrows. They went to the couch and covered themselves with a warm, red blanket.

"Well it's going great. Right now with dad's death things are pretty busy at the company so I'm working a lot, but I like college so far. Even if sometimes I'm just tired of everything." Alex answered with a quick laugh.

"Yeah well I'm glad I'm over that!" Said Kara. "How's Lena?"

Lena Luthor was Alex's best friend. They met at the university and got along pretty well. The girl was Alex's age and had black straight hair and the lightest blue eyes. Kara didn't see her often, but she liked her a lot.

"Great. She just got an internship at some company out there, but I don't remember the name." Alex told.

"Cool. Any boyfriends or maybe... girlfriends?" Kara said, smirking. Alex giggled.

"Well..."

"Tell me!" Kara yelled, curious.

"There's this guy... his name is Winn. He's a dork and I never thought I'd like him but I think I might have a crush on him." Alex confesses, blushing.

"Awww! My little sister is in love! How did you meet?" Kara questioned.

"I'm not in love. And we study in the same History class, so the teacher paired us in a project." Alex explained.

That night Kara and Alex caught up in every subject they could think of. Kara told her sister about the case, and Alex said she didn't want to be a part of it, but if that was what Kara wanted to do she'd be there for her. Alex shared how depressing it was to live in the Danvers mansion, she talked about how the atmosphere had managed to turn even more creepy there, after their father’s death. Their mother's shutdown contributed a lot to the heavy tension around, but she knew she should be by Eliza's side, not leaving her alone. Otherwise, things would get worse. Kara knew both her and her sibling had different personalities and opinions, so she didn't argue. She was more concerned about the anger consuming herself than about anything else. Nevertheless, that wasn't the moment to worry. She hoped once she started working on the case, she'd feel better.

The two sisters ate pizza, ice cream, watched their favorite movies and slept right in the living room, like they used to do a long time before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you to officer Mike Matthews. I'm sorry for the crappy chapter. Ik this one is a lot lighter than the last one, but I needed it... anyway, comment your thoughts.


	4. 𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝐹𝑂𝑈𝑅

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> he was dragged out  
> of his thoughts with a  
> tap on his shoulder

Light shone through the windows in Kara Danvers' loft. In the middle of the living room, right on the couch, lay the two sisters, in opposite directions. They had fallen asleep after hours of binge watching movies, eating not very healthy food and chatting. They had barely had three hours of sleep.

The two of them were deep asleep when a phone started ringing, waking them both. That sudden sound startled Kara, leading her to almost kicking Alex's face, who dodged her sister's foot just in time.

"Hey, careful there!" said Alex, grumpy.

"Sorry!" Kara apologized. "I think it's my phone ringing." She finished as she picked it up.

"Who'd be calling this early in the morning? Wait what time is it?" Alex asked. Kara just gestured for her sister to be silent as she answered the phone.

"Hello?" Kara said, still sleepy. She let a yawn out, hoping it had gone unnoticed.

 _"Kara? It's officer Matthews, I'm sorry if I woke you up."_ Said Mike.

"No, no, I've been awake for an hour now." She lied.

 _"Anyway, I believe I've gone through the paper you gave me and some extra information. Can you pass by the police station?"_ He questioned.

"Hold on." She answered, and looked at her watch. "Okay so, it's seven o'clock now. I only have to be at Catco after lunch today, since I've already handed my articles for the morning. So I believe we can catch up in, let's say, breakfast?"

 _"Uhhh, okay, sounds good. Meet me here at the police office?"_ Mike suggested, though he wasn't sure whether that was the most professional way to handle the situation.

"Okay. I'll be there in forty minutes." Kara said, hanging up.

"Who was that?" Asked Alex, sleepily.

"Mike Matthews." Kara responded, trying to clean up as fast as possible. The apartment was a mess.

"Mike Matthews who?" Alex questioned, again.

"The cop I told you about yesterday." Kara answered, annoyed.

"Sorry, I just woke up and I didn't know people went to breakfast with the person dealing with their father's death case." Alex replied.

"Do you think it's inappropriate? Ugh I just wanna solve this soon." Kara stated, concerned.

"Um I don't know, I'm probably wrong though." Said Alex.

"What are you waiting for then? Come help me clean this mess!" Kara demanded, making her sister jump off the couch, rolling her eyes. There were ice cream and pizza boxes on the ground, along with pillows and blankets and an empty wine bottle.

After the two sisters left everything in the best condition they could, Kara rushed to her bedroom to choose an outfit. She was definitely not in the mood for wearing uncomfortable clothes and since it was almost winter, which meant a quite chilly weather, she chose a black pair of pants, a white blouse and a beige cardigan. Her hair was half up half down, surprisingly not as messy as she thought it'd be.

"Do you think this is okay?" Kara asked, stepping in the living room.

"Kara Danvers asking for fashion advice? What's gotten into you?" Alex joked, chuckling.

"I'm just making sure I didn't pick a horrible outfit due to the hangover and sleepiness." Kara replied.

"Yeah, either that, or you're trying to make a good impression on this Mike guy." Alex said, making Kara sigh, annoyed. "Is he good-looking?" Kara was going to answer but then tried to remember his appearance. She thought about his eyes, his smile, his shaped body. He was definitely good-looking.

"I haven't paid attention." She lied.

"I'll take that as a yes." Said Alex.

"Okay, maybe he is, but what about it? There are many good-looking men in the world. I assure you, my outfit has nothing to do with him." Kara explained.

"If you say so. I'll get changed." Alex told.

"Okay, but I'm already late. Sorry, I gotta go." Kara said, looking for something in her purse. "Here, take these. Extra keys to my loft, make sure you lock the door when you leave."

"Okay. Call me tonight though." Alex requested.

"Deal. Bye sis, I had a great time." Kara said, giving her sister a hug.

* * *

Mike was once again reading the paper Kara Danvers had left. He had to agree with his boss, it was pretty much nothing. However, he believed he had a lead, and he would share it with Kara that day. He was dragged out of his thoughts with a tap on his shoulder. He turned around to see a tall, brown haired woman. She gave him a wide smile.

"Tegan?" He asked, smiling. "What are you doing here? How did you even know I was here?"

Tegan Matthews Smith was a 32 year old reporter. A while before, she was married to John Smith, but she became a widow after he committed suicide. The woman was very bright and confident, and even after the tragedy, she remained fun and caring.

"I called your home phone but you didn't pick up, so I figured you'd be here earlier as you do sometimes. I just came by to check on my little brother, can't I?" She replied.

"Yes, of course." He said, slightly laughing.

"How's your life going? I mean, we haven't talked much lately. We've both been pretty busy..." Tegan remarked.

"True. I mean, I'm great! I just got a case to work on my own." Mike told, happily.

"Really? Wow that's great! Maybe you can tell me more about it. Are you free for breakfast today?" She questioned.

"Umm, no, sorry. I'm busy with this case I'm working on..." Mike started, but stopped when he saw Kara entering the police station.

"Kara?" Said Tegan, surprised. Kara opened her mouth to speak but she was also shocked.

"You two... know each other?" Mike asked.

"She works at Catco with me." Tegan explained.

"Of course! How did I not realize before?" He asked, chuckling.

"And you two know each other from...?" Kara asked, a hint of jealousy she chose to ignore surfacing her mind.

"We're siblings! You probably didn't know because I go by Tegan Smith now, but it's actually Tegan Matthews Smith." Explained Mike's sister, a little over excited.

"Oh. What a small world, right?" Kara stated, weirdly relieved.

"Tegan, you must've heard about Kara's father's death, and the case I'm working on involves catching the killer." Said Mike. "The reason I told you I was busy right now is because we're going to dig into the first lead."

"Oh, okay." Tegan paused. "Can I talk to you privately, before you two leave?" Tegan questioned.

"I'll wait for you outside." Kara said, exiting.

"What did you want to talk about?" Mike asked.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you to get involved with this." She blurted out.

"What? The case?" Mike asked, confused.

"Yeah. It may be dangerous. This family has secrets Mike. You shouldn't dive into that darkness." Tegan advised.

"I thought you were happy for me, Tegan! You know how important this is for my career! Is this about Kara?" He asked, getting angry.

"What? No, she's the sweetest. I'm sorry, but I'm just trying to protect you. We can't lose anyone else, Mike. Please, listen to me." She begged.

"I can take care of myself, Tee, don't worry." Mike comforted her. "I should get going." He finished, shaking his head, leaving his sister behind.

He grabbed what he thought would be needed, took off his uniform and exited the station, finding Kara waiting for him.

"Having siblings is not the easiest thing when it comes to situations like this." He said as he approached her.

"Yeah, I can tell." Agreed Kara, giggling.

"Your sister is younger than you, right?" Mike asked.

"Yes. She's twenty-two." Kara responded.

"How's it like to be the older sibling?" Questioned Mike.

"Um... it has its pros and cons." She asnwered with a small laugh. "Where do you wanna go for breakfast?"

"I don't know... any suggestions?" The cop asked.

"Maybe we can go to Noonans. I mean, it's close and they have awesome donuts." Kara said, cracking a smile.

"Not sure donuts are the best way to start the morning, but okay." Mike stated, chuckling.

"Oh shut up." Kara replied, returning the chuckle. The two of them walked to Noonans while chatting about stupid things every once in a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Filler chapter, but those are needed.]  
> Hey guys, hope y'all enjoyed. I'll try to update as frequently as possible so stay tuned!  
> Kudos and comments are appreciated!


	5. 𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝐹𝐼𝑉𝐸

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> she smiled, happy  
> about her victory.

As Kara and Mike got to Noonans, they saw a small, but beautifully decorated place. There were round, white tables spread around the spot, and the people talking and eating peacefully brought a different atmosphere from the one outside the shop. Mike and Kara quickly chose a table and ordered.

"So, where do we start..." said Mike, once the food had already arrived.

"You said you had a lead..." helped Kara.

"I do. So, I did some digging, and I have a feeling this may take a while. However, I think I have our first suspect." He explained.

"Who is it?" Kara asked, curious.

"Your father had many business partners, but he also had enemies. One of his bitterest opponents was Morgan Edge. I found some disagreements and arguments between them, including some pretty serious public offenses, but I couldn't find out why. I was hoping you could help me with that."

"Hmm yeah sure, but I'll need a computer or a laptop. Have you brought one?" Kara asked.

"Shoot, no, I didn't. Now if you don't mind my asking, why do you need a computer?" Mike replied, confused.

"What do you mean? How else would we get the information we need?" Kara questioned, even more confused.

"That's not the kind of help I meant to ask." He answered with a chuckle. "I don't know, I thought maybe you heard or saw something back when you lived in that mansion..."

"Oh no. I never really paid attention to my dad's business or anything related. But I do know my way out in a computer. I think maybe we could... snoop into some information... specially about his interactions with my father." She explained.

"I don't think you wanna do that. See, that's not technically legal, and I would hate to arrest you." He said, laughing.

Kara let a small chuckle out before they saw a waitress approaching with their food. Mike had ordered a natural sandwich and a black coffee, while Kara ordered three different donuts and a latte.

"How can you eat that this early in the morning?" Mike asked, with a disgusted look on his face.

"How can you not?" Kara replied, her voice muffled due to her full mouth. "This is delicious!" Mike laughed at her stupidness.

"Whatever you say." He stated, shaking his head and taking a bite of his sandwich.

"About what we were talking before... that wasn't my point." She told after swallowing her food.

"What do you mean?"

"After my father died, I stayed as the legal heir of his company, his work. So technically, if I want to, I can still take it. Of course I don't, I couldn't care less. But I can search through his old files and all that business dealt with in the past, since it's all mine. There's nothing illegal about that. We would just be doing it more discreetly, from my place. No one will know." She explained, raising her eyebrows in hope she had sounded convincing enough. He tilted his head backwards, undecided.

"I don't know..."

"Oh come on! How else are we supposed to do this? I mean, let's be honest, it's not as if your boss would provide any extra material for you to solve this case." Kara remarked.

"I..." Mike bit his lip.

"Please..." She begged.

"Fine." He gave in, and Kara squealed throwing her arms in the air. "But if I get in trouble, it's on you." She smiled, happy about her victory.

* * *

"Nice place you've got." Mike stated, looking around.

"Thanks. I'm sorry for the mess though." Apologized Kara. "So, come here." She said, grabbing her laptop and signaling for him to take a sit at the kitchen balcony.

"Where do we start?" He asked.

"I need to break into the company's online files system. Hopefully my father wasn't from the ancient ages and uploaded everything there." She clarified.

"Okay. How do we do that?" Asked Mike. "I'm sorry, I think I might be from the ancient ages." He said, making them both laugh.

"It's okay. I've got a gift when it comes to technology, I guess. I was never too interested in whatever my father did, but since the company was very technological I thought it would be useful if I learned how to hack. One of the employees took some time and taught me what he knew. I got it very quickly, it must be in my DNA or something." Said Kara, her eyes fixed on the computer. "Got it!" She exclaimed.

"Wow, that was quick." Mike whispered, and Kara shook her head.

"What should I look for?" Asked Kara.

"I don't know... Edge? Morgan Edge? Edge, Morgan?" He suggested.

"ME Industries?" She questioned, pointing at a file on the screen.

"That could be." The officer agreed.

"Yep, seems like it. But I don't understand anything here." Said Kara, as she turned the laptop so Mike could see it.

"Seems like all the interactions between both companies. This one must be commercial deals, this one public reactions, even phone calls." He explained scrolling through the other folders.

"Let's try the first one." She said, opening the file.

"That's interesting... looks like they both had business going on until your father declined one of Edge's deals..." Mike said, taking in the information.

"That's odd. But how can you understand all of that? It seems like Greek to me." Said Kara with a chuckle.

"I mean, it's pretty simple, it's all written here." He answered, returning the chuckle.

"Wow and the funny thing is, I'm the one who's supposed to be a journalist." She remarked, smiling. "Anyway, try 'phone calls'"

"Seems like they completely lost contact, or at least direct contact, for like, two years, and then Edge called your father on November 24th, this year." Mike explained.

"Wait that's... that's actually the day before my father died." Said Kara, shocked, as she looked at Mike.

"Something seems off... there's definitely something there." The officer murmured. "Can you look further into the deal your father declined?"

"I'll try." She agreed, as she turned the computer facing herself. Once the file was opened, she passed the laptop to Mike.

"Well, there's not much information here. Only date, people involved and some other stuff." He said, a little disappointed.

"Well... looks like we've got some investigation to do." Said Kara, closing the laptop and grabbing her jacket.

"What? Where are you going?" Questioned Mike.

"We, my friend, are going to get some answers. Journalism calls!" She exclaimed.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Yeah!" Kara responded, her crinkle appearing above her eyebrows. She began walking towards the door, but stopped as she touched the doorknob. She thought about her previous life, about her dad, about what finding his murderer would mean. Lost in her thoughts, she bit her bottom lip.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Asked Mike.

"I just... I lost a little bit of confidence when my father died. You know, I thought I was doing everything right. I thought I was doing what was best for myself, and then he passed away and... I didn't even have a chance to say goodbye, or I'm sorry. I'm not certain about anything now, are we doing the right thing?" Kara explained nervously, tearing up.

"Hey... I know how it feels. My mother passed away when I was 18 so I know how it is to feel unsure about your whole life, your whole future." Mike started, and brought his hand to rub her upper arm. "But you gotta believe in yourself. If you think you'll feel better if you catch the killer, then it's the right thing to do, plus, this city will always be safer with one criminal less." Kara smiled, and let a small laugh out as she tried to get rid of the tears.

"Thank you." She said, staring at his eyes, showing that she was truly grateful.

"Of course."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! I have somethings I'd like to say... first off, this was written in what? December? I think so. I know that the chapters are short and not thaaat good but it gets better over time, believe me. From the next chapter until chapter 9, each part has over 1700 words, which I know, is still too little, but chapter 10 and the next ones have 2000 words at least. Sorry again! Kudos and comments are appreciated, as well as any help you could give me sharing! Thanks for reading!


	6. 𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝑆𝐼𝑋

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> he never thought  
> he'd feel so happy

Alex sat alone at a relatively big, round table in the middle of her college's library. She went there to study but couldn't focus on anything that day. She observed the shelves replete of books, those varying in size, colors and well organized among the different subjects. She thought about how much her sister would love that place. Kara always complained about her university's library precariousness back when she was coursing journalism.

Shaking her head, Alex looked at her book beneath her elbows and took some deep breaths to try and concentrate.

"Having trouble with Mr. Hall's depressing lectures?" A voice came from Alex's behind, startling her. She turned her head to see whose it was and smiled widely at the sight of Winn. The guy was not very tall, had brown eyes and black hair.

"I wouldn't call them depressing, but yeah." She answered with a chuckle.

"Oh please. The guy speaks with the same low toned, flat voice, with all the lights off and slides that show at most a date. There's no brain that'd be able to absorb his classes that way." Said Winn.

"Now it makes sense." Alex noted, looking back at her book.

"Maybe I can help you." He said, taking a seat next to Alex. "I mean, if you want me to." He completed, a little nervous.

"Yeah, um, sure, that'd be great." Alex stammered.

"Okay." He smiled.

Winn tried his best to explain everything he remembered about the class, while Alex observed him attentively. When he finished she wasn't sure she had understood everything but it was okay, she could search it up at home. Right then all that mattered was that he was trying to help, and it was really cute.

"Thank you." She said.

"I'm glad I helped." He replied. Alex smiled at him as they both got up to leave. She was very extrovert and open minded, but at the same time sometimes she had to think about what her older sister would do if she were in her place, in order to make a decision.

"Hey, would you like to go out with me?" She asked, without thinking a lot.

"What?" Winn asked laughing, until he saw Alex was being serious. "Yeah, sure." He opened an unsure smile.

"You have my number right? Call me later today." Alex said before leaving the library.

Winn stood there, thinking about what had just happened. He really liked Alex, but he never thought she'd like him too. In his mind he was way too shy and "dorkish" for her, and she'd be another one of his failed crushes. He didn't mind that, since he was used to it. But now she had asked him out and he never thought he'd feel so happy.

* * *

Kara and Mike were in front of a tall, glass building, that seemed to be a lot more expensive and technological than what Mike had ever imagined. Kara wasn't very surprised, since she grew up in a similar environment. The officer looked up, admiring in awe what he was seeing.

"Wow." He whispered. Kara looked at him and chuckled at his behavior, cracking a huge smile.

"Yep, this is it." She said, extending one hand to open the front door.

As they both entered the company building, Kara walked directly towards the front desk, while Mike looked as a lost puppy, turning every once in a while to pay attention at everything around him.

"Hi. I'm Kara Danvers, Catco Magazine, and I came in hope to speak with Morgan Edge, is he available?" Asked Kara.

"Miss, even if he was available, you'd have to come with a previously scheduled meeting. He doesn't receive visitors without being warned before." The receptionist explained.

"I'm not a visitor, I came for work. Can you please just let him know I'm here, please." The reporter begged.

"I'm afraid I can't, Miss." The woman responded.

"But-"

"I'm sorry." Kara was cut out.

"Fine. I'll just write my article based on my honest experience concerning him and his company." Teased Kara. The secretary sighed and threw a death stare, while grabbing the phone.

"Mr. Edge? We seem to have a problem here. There's a reporter wanting to come in and interview you. I told her you wouldn't meet her without a— oh her name? Kara... Danvers I believe. Okay, I'll let her know." The woman put the phone away and said "You can go meet him. Last floor, end of the hallway to the left."

"Thank you." Said Kara. "Mike, come on." She called, waking Mike from his trance.

Both of them headed towards the elevator and Kara pushed the button. As they exited it, walking along the hallway, they payed good attention at everything inside the building, not saying a word until they were standing in front of Morgan Edge's door.

"We're here." Kara mumbled, sighing.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay. If we find it's not him, we'll move to another suspect. I promise you, we won't stop digging until we figure this out." Mike assured, staring at Kara's blue eyes. She stared back for a moment, as in search for stability, and nodded, biting her lip.

Kara knocked at the door and waited anxiously for a response.

"Come in." Said a voice from inside.

Kara and Mike awkwardly entered the room, her organizing thoughts and him waiting for her to speak.

"If it isn't Kara Danvers. Jeremiah's rebel, failed daughter." Morgan provoked. Hearing that gave Mike a feeling he didn't think he'd have. He felt anger, need for defending Kara. He didn't understand it well, he didn't know why he'd feel such things towards someone he was working with, thus he decided to bury those strange emotions. Nevertheless, he couldn't deny the fact that Kara didn't deserve to be hearing that. She was a hardworking, determined woman, and without him noticing she was already gaining his respect, as a person, as a daughter, as a worker, and as a friend.

"Don't bring my father's name up like that. In fact, he's the reason I came." Kara said, harshly.

"Excuse me?" Asked Edge.

"Don't underestimate me. I know he wasn't the best person, but I also know you two had business going on, until he rejected one of your deals. What deal was that?" Questioned Kara.

"Why do you wanna know?" He asked.

"Just answer my question, please." Kara replied.

"I don't even get to know what I am being interviewed for?" Morgan teased.

"No." She said, coldly.

"No deal then. If you don't mind, I have business to do." He said, gesturing towards the door.

"Sir, if you won't answer Kara, maybe you'll listen to me. Officer Matthews, NCPD." Mike stepped in, showing his badge. "We're together in an investigation. Answer her, otherwise you'll suffer consequences."

"Fine. I offered Jeremiah to go to Tokio, and provide material for his technology." The man explained.

"What for?" Asked Kara.

"So I could use his technology in the new weapons our engineers were developing. Totally legal, though." He said, the last part fairly defensively. Mike raised his eyebrows, questioning. "Are you trying to find Jeremiah's murderer? I swear I had nothing to do with it. Not that I didn't appreciate it." He said, laughing.

"Sir, that's enough. What else do you know?" Asked Mike.

"Look..." Morgan started looking through some papers in a drawer. When he seemed to have found the folder he was searching for, he pulled it out and handed it to the officer. "This is all I have concerning that deal. Trust me, it won't help you. Now, regarding his death, I didn't know anything. And I still don't, I'm sorry."

Kara grabbed the file and gave it a glance. She got lost in her thoughts and shook her head soon after. She was hoping to get more information than what she did, what led to her getting disappointed with the result.

"Thank you, anyways." She said as she turned around and left the room, Mike following her right after.

"Do you believe him?" Mike asked when they were out of the building, walking on the street.

"No. In fact, I believe him less than I did before. This new weaponry thing is too weird." Kara answered.

"Agreed." Said Mike.

"Hopefully I'll be able to pull some strings with this file, and figure the whole thing out." She sighed.

"Are you okay?" He asked, and turned to see her face. They stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, and Kara turned her head away.

"I don't... I don't know. I just wanna figure this out soon and have some peace of mind for once." She told, and looked back at him. "And then there's what Edge said. 'Jeremiah's rebel, failed daughter'. Do you think that's how he saw me? A failure?" Kara questioned, holding tears. "God I don't even know why I'm saying this to you. I'm sorry, you shouldn't have to hear this." She looked away pinching the bridge of her nose. Watching her, Mike saw himself struggling during his darkest days. Alone. He didn't have anyone to lean on, and maybe that was what took him so long to heal. Making his choice, he shook his head. 

"No, no it's okay. Look at me. You're not a failure. You're a strong, independent woman that was brave enough to chase her dreams despite the consequences. And in the end, you managed to be more than that, your effort and determination took you to success, and you deserve it. I admire you, you should as well." Mike comforted, and Kara nodded slightly, pressing both of her lips together in a failed attempt to hold the tears. "Hey, come here." He said, pulling her in a hug. "You might think that things are falling apart, but it's in this moment that you have to think twice. To look how far you've come, how strong you've got. As that cheesy line says, 'you can do this'." He whispered in her ear, while gently stroking her hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this chapter! Comment your thoughts!


	7. 𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝑆𝐸𝑉𝐸𝑁

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> she deserved far better than  
> what she had gotten so far

"Thank you, for everything. Not only for helping me with the case, but also for comforting me when I needed. It meant a lot." Said Kara. The two young adults were sitting at a table in a simple but nice restaurant, having lunch.

"No problem at all. I know it can be hard sometimes and we need support to go on." Mike stated, looking down. Kara observed the man and thought that maybe he had gone through something similar, and didn't have anyone to lean on.

"You said you knew how it is to lose a parent... I'm sorry if I'm touching fresh wounds, but what happened?" Kara asked.

"Umm, my father was never really in the picture. He'd show up every once in some years and then disappear again, so most of my life it was just me, my mom and my sister. We were really happy, despite everything. When I was eighteen my mother died of cancer, so Tegan and I were left alone with each other." He explained, tearing up.

"Oh my god, Mike. I'm so sorry." Said Kara, moved.

"It's okay. I've been through some bad times after that, and Tegan shut herself down for a couple of years until she became herself again. Although she's a lot older than me, she took a while to learn that she needed to stay strong and that stuff like that happens. After she came back to reality, she turned into someone very extrovert and with a huge heart. Our bond grew stronger since then, but until she figured it out I was more or less alone." Mike told.

"Well... you also have me now. Whenever you need. I have a good feeling about our friendship." Kara assured, smiling.

"So do I." Mike replied, returning the smile. Soon after his phone began to ring. "Speaking of her..." He said, showing Kara the phone, in which was Tegan's name. He picked it up and answered. "Hi Tegan... actually, I'm finishing lunch now... yeah... yes still on the case... no, I told you I wouldn't drop it... yeah Kara's here... sure I'll let her know." He hung up. "Tegan's saying that Ms. Grant needs you at Catco."

"Oh okay. Duty calls!" Kara said, giggling. "I've gotta run then, talk to you later?"

"Yeah, sure. I need to be at the police station anyway, so. I'll call you tonight about the case, is that okay?" He asked.

"Yes. Thank you again." She repeated.

* * *

Mike arrived at the police station and ran to a desk to gather his thoughts and current information. He was upset about not finding what they were looking for that day and blamed himself. He thought that maybe if he'd been stronger or more intimidating he'd be able to extract more information and Kara wouldn't have so much work to do. Poor girl had already had to deal with so much tragedy. She deserved far better than what she had gotten so far.

"Matthews." Captain Colen called. Mike rose his head.

"Yes?" He answered.

"My office. We need to talk." Said the captain. Mike was very confused by that sentence. He didn't know what to think, but he hoped it had nothing to do with Kara's case. Specially, he hoped he wouldn't have to drop it for some reason. He walked to the captain's office and entered it reluctantly.

"Close the door please." Colen demanded. Mike did as he told. "I need to speak with you about Miss Danvers case." Mike gulped. "How's it going?"

"Not the best, but we've got some leads. I think we're in the right way..." Mike explained.

"Is it true that you've been working along Miss Danvers to solve it?" The older man asked.

"Yes... was I not supposed to?" Asked the officer, confused.

"She was supposed to give you the information, but you needed to handle it alone. That's how we do things here. From the police. Not from citizens' loft, or even from having meals with them." Colen said, angrily.

"I'm sorry sir, how do you even know all this?" The younger officer asked.

"That's none of your concern. What matters is that you broke the rules and I have no choice other than suspending you." The captain told.

"Sir, please, don't. I didn't even know there were rules like this, plus Kar—Miss Danvers was very helpful." Mike begged.

"If that were true the case would be solved already. First of all, every one knows police officers don't work alongside their 'clients', second, we don't really know this woman. God knows what she really wants. And last, I can't deny that you went against our code. I'm suspending you. Your badge." The captain demanded, extending his hand.

"Sir—"

"Your badge, now." He repeated, still extending his hand. Mike handed it to him and turned around to grab some of his belongings and leave.

That didn't make any sense. How would he help Kara then?

* * *

Kara got home exhausted from the investigation, along with the work. She just wanted to take a hot shower and drop on the couch. Or even on the bed, she was sure she would drift off easily, but she still needed to call her sister.

As she opened the door, she entered the apartment, hanging her coat up and turning around ready to head to the bathroom. She was startled by a figure sitting on the couch. He mother, Eliza.

"God, mom. You scared me." She stated.

"Hi sweetheart." Eliza said, getting up from the couch.

"Hey." Kara replied, giving her mom a quick hug. "What are you doing here?"

"After my begging, Alex told me your address and let me borrow your spare keys. I'm sorry for dropping by like this, and even more sorry for this being the first time." The mother apologized. Kara took a deep breath.

"It's okay. What do you think?" She asked opening her arms and turning around herself, referring to the loft and smiling widely. The only reason she felt so light was because Eliza was her mother, and she saw an opportunity to star over, and reconnect with her. She wouldn't do such if it were any other person, but Eliza was one the only remains of her father, so she figured she deserved a chance.

"I think it's lovely." Eliza resounded, with a warm smile. Kara could notice how much weight her mother had lost, how she looked more tired and pale. "Listen, I'm sorry. For everything. For shutting myself down, for not being there for you and your sister, specially you. Unfortunately, that's not the reason I came here." She paused. "Morgan Edge called me. He said you were interrogating him."

"Mom..." Kara started, but didn't know how to explain it.

"Kara, you need to stop this. It's not healthy for you." Eliza advised.

"Mom, if I do, I'll continue with this consuming anger inside me, and it'll need to be fed somehow. I can't let that happen. Plus, I've got some really suspicious leads on Edge." Kara told.

"It's not him, Kara." The mother said, a little annoyed.

"Why, why do you think so? Why do you believe him and you can't bring yourself to believe me? Your own daughter?" Kara asked, raising her voice tone and getting angrier by the minute.

"Because I saw it, Kara!" Her mother yelled, immediately taking her hands to her mouth.

"You— you saw it? Why the hell didn't you say that before?" Kara yelled back.

"Because it's no help! I didn't see her face. I could only see it was a woman, from the slight moonlight that entered by the closest window. I only saw the shadow of her body, and hair. It was definitely a woman." Eliza said, her voice tone evening along her speaking.

"You should've said something. Plus, so what? What if Edge hired a woman to do the job?" Kara questioned, still angry.

"Morgan has a lot of employees, but he does the dirty jobs himself. He is too proud to let someone do it for him. He's a terrible person, Kara, but this is nothing like him. The little I know of him tells me he'd do it completely differently. Please, believe me. I wouldn't lie about this to you." Eliza pleaded. Kara remained silent, thinking about her mother's words. They made sense, she thought.

"Okay. I believe you. But I won't stop digging, mom. I can't." Eliza took a deep breath.

"Okay, I understand. But don't say I didn't told you so." She said, and looked at her watch. "It's getting late, I should get going." She noted, giving a small smile. Kara took her to the door and said goodbye.

After such a long day, Kara finally managed to take a warm shower and lie on the bed, for she desperately needed some rest. She was almost asleep when she remembered to call her sister. She reached her hand across the nightstand and grabbed her phone. She dialed her sister and waited a few seconds for her to pick up.

_"Kara?"_ Alex asked.

"Yes, it's me." Kara answered, smiling slightly. Her sister managed to make her day only by calling her name. She was her safe spot.

_"How are you? How was your day?"_ Alex questioned.

"I'm good, very tired. My day was emotionally exhausting." Kara responded, chuckling. "What about yours?"

_"Are you in the mood for hearing some good news?"_ Asked the younger sister.

"Not really, but shoot." Said Kara.

 _"Do you know that guy I told you about? Winn?"_ Alex asked.

"Mhmm"

_"I asked him out this morning. We have a date tomorrow night."_ Alex told, squealing.

"Oh my god, really?" Kara asked, suddenly excited.

_"Yeah!"_

"I'm so happy for you! I really hope he's one of the good ones!" Kara said, slightly laughing.

_"Me too. But I think he is. And... what about you? What about that good-looking cop?"_ Alex questioned, curiosity and a hint of teasing in her voice.

"Very funny. He's really nice. And by that I mean... seriously, very nice." Kara told, and Alex squealed jokingly.

_"Tell me!"_

"Well... there's nothing much to tell..." Said the older sibling.

_"You're a terrible liar."_ Alex remarked.

"Well umm... so we went on investigating today..." She started.

_"Aaaand...?"_

"I was really down when we got out, but he said some really comforting words, and hugged me, saying it'd be okay... he helped me a lot." Kara finished.

_"Aw Kara, that's so cute. I really hope you two end up together."_ Said Alex.

"Shut up." Kara said, letting a yawn out.

 _"I'll let you sleep now. Sweet dreams. Hopefully about some cop out there."_ The redhead teased and quickly hung up. Kara shook her head laughing as she put her phone away and drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey guys! hope you're enjoying this so far!  
> PLEASE READ I've recently published a karamel one shot, named 'safety', it'd mean the world if you checked it out!  
> thanks for reading, comment your thoughts!


	8. 𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝐸𝐼𝐺𝐻𝑇

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> happiness took over  
> their beings, while a  
> peaceful environment  
> surrounded them

Kara woke up feeling very dizzy. Her throat hurt and felt drier than the Sahara. Somehow, the lightning in her room seemed like that in the set of a horror movie. _Great. What a way to start a day,_ she thought. She felt a slight pain in her lungs area, followed by uninterrupted coughing. She wasn't in the mood for working, anyway.

The blonde went to the bathroom, washed her face and then headed to the kitchen, for she needed to wet her throat. In the midst of her trying to accomplish her supposedly simple morning routine, she sneezed, coughed and felt something similar to muscle pain in various parts of her body, besides the terrible headache. She concluded that she wouldn't be going to work, so she called to let them aware and quickly took some medicine for the headache. She felt terribly weak.

Kara moved to the couch with a box of tissues to process what was happening when her phone began to ring. She rolled her eyes and thought about ignoring, but when she saw it was Mike, she found it better to pick up.

"Hi." Said Kara, her voice sounding different due to her runny nose.

 _"Hey, it's Mike. You sound weird, are you crying?"_ Mike asked.

"No, I just woke up with a cold." She answered, breathing heavily.

 _"Are you okay?"_ Questioned Mike.

"Yeah, it's probably nothing serious." Kara responded, coughing right after.

 _"I hope so. Anyway, I need to talk to you, can I drop by? I know it's probably not the best time, but it's sort of important..."_ He said.

"Uhh sure... just... don't come expecting anything other than me in my pajamas, looking disheveled and sick." She told, getting a chuckle as response.

 _"Alright, see ya soon."_ He stated.

Kara tried to clean herself up a little better, brushing her hair, and holding it half up, half down. About forty minutes later, she heard a knock on the door. Already knowing it was Mike, she headed towards it.

"Hey." He said, smiling as she opened the door. She smiled back, noticing he had a jar that most likely held tea or coffee in one hand and some honey in a container in the other.

"Want a little help?" She said, pointing at his hands.

"Sure." He accepted, handing her the honey container.

"What's all this?" Kara asked, as they both entered the apartment. Mike closed the door behind.

"Some homemade tea and a bit of my favorite honey. They will definitely make you feel better. My mom gave me the recipe for the tea when she was alive and taught me how to make it." He explained.

"Aw, thank you. You didn't need to." Said Kara, and followed with a cough.

"Yeah but well, I was gonna come here anyway so why not, right?" Mike said, placing the jar on the table.

"Thanks. What did you want to talk about?" Kara asked.

"Umm... why don't you sit and grab some tea first? Then I can tell you what happened." He replied.

"Sure." She responded, going towards the cabinet to grab some mugs. "Here you go." She said, handing him one of them.

"Thank you." After filling the holders with tea, they both sat on the couch in opposite directions, Kara reaching towards the blanket, covering their legs. She took a sip of her warm drink, holding the mug with both hands and feeling the heat coming from the steam touch her face.

"This is amazing." She said, looking down at the tea, impressed. Mike let out a slight laugh.

"I'm glad you liked. Anyway, I'm afraid I don't have such good news for you..." He told, staring down at his legs. Kara gazed at him, waiting for his continuing. "Yesterday when I went back to the police station, the captain called me to his office, and... he didn't like that I worked alongside you to solve the case. Turns out we're supposed to work from the police only, and I didn't know... After that, he suspended me. I'm sorry Kara, I—"

"Hey, you have nothing to be sorry about. I was the one that convinced you to work with me, it's my fault that you were suspended. I should be the one to be sorry." Kara said, although she thought it was a bit strange that Mike would be suspended for such a silly reason. She had never heard of such rules, but decided to let it go since she wasn't the most experienced.

"It's not your fault. None of us knew. I want you to know that I'll keep trying to help you, of course, if you want me to." Mike uttered.

"I'd love that." She smiled, but her face slightly fell afterwards. 'But, um, I don't want to bother you. You sure have better things to do..."

"Please. This will give me a boost. Perhaps after we find this killer I'll finally be recognized as something more than a rookie officer wannabe, and maybe even have my job back. It'll help us both." He assured. Kara's smile returned to her face.

"Okay then." She agreed. "Do you have anything else to do today?"

"Not really." He answered.

"Are you up for a lazy day eating and watching TV at the Danvers loft?" She asked.

"Bring it in." He replied, making them both chuckle.

"What do you wanna start with?" Questioned Kara.

"I don't know... we don't know that much about each other, what are your passions and tastes?" Mike inquired.

"Umm... musicals, always," she started, and Mike nodded dramatically, mouthing an 'yes'. Kara laughed at his excitement. "Harry Potter, of course, Friends... I don't know what else." She giggled.

"Oh my god, really? You must be my lost twin or something. What's your Harry Potter house?" Mike asked.

"Gryffindor. I'm a proud one!" She stated.

"Nice. I'm in Ravenclaw." He commented.

"What else do you like to do?" Kara asked.

"I love reading and sometimes even writing. I really like watching tv shows too, but I don't have much time... or at least didn't have." He responded.

"That's really nice... so, do you wanna watch some musicals?" Kara suggested, drinking up the rest of her tea.

"Sure." He answered.

"Pick one. I'll get some cake my sister left here. She's a great cook, so don't worry, it's not poisoned or anything." Kara stated, making Mike laugh and handing him a box of movies.

Kara and Mike ate the whole cake, and watched Grease and Singing In The Rain. They were in the middle of the third movie when Kara felt very tired, so she relaxed herself on the couch. A while later, Mike felt something weighing on his shoulder and found Kara asleep. He brushed her hair out of her face and carefully laid her on the couch. He decided to let her rest for a while, so he grabbed a book he found and sat on a chair to read it.

When it was getting close to 2p.m., Mike stood up and decided to cook some late lunch with whatever Kara had in her fridge. He made some omelets with cheese and some broccoli he found. He thought that would be enough since they had eaten a lot of cake. He warmed some milk in the microwave and put a spoon of the honey he had brought with it in a mug. He was finishing everything when Kara woke up and walked towards the kitchen balcony.

"What are you doing? Something smells amazing." She noted.

"Oh good I was just gonna wake you up. I made some omelets, I hope that's enough, you don't have a lot I could work on here. And, here, take this, it may not taste amazing, but you need to drink it if you wanna get better." He said, handing her the mug with milk and honey. Kara smiled widely and felt her heart beat a little faster. Was he always like that?

"Thank youuu." She said. "You didn't need to bother, Mike. I can take care of myself."

"Suuuure." Mike replied, taking a sit at the balcony. Kara jokingly hit him in the arm. "Anyways, sorry for using your kitchen and, I don't know, kind of acting like an intruder here."

"Oh please, make yourself at home. Plus, you've only helped since you got here. I already feel a lot better. Thank you." Kara said, drinking a bit of her milk.

"No problem." He smiled. "Eat your food, and then I'll head home, we can continue the investigation tomorrow or other day." Kara nodded in agreement. "I had a great time, thanks."

"Me too." Kara replied, grinning.

* * *

Alex and Winn were walking with intertwined hands around the park, after what they would define as a wonderful date. The sky was beautifully decorated with many stars, and they were gifted with the moonlight brightening the darkness of that night.

"Winn, thank you for everything. I had a wonderful time." Alex said, turning around to face him. He grabbed her hands and rubbed their backs slightly.

"I'm glad you liked. I had the most amazing time as well. And you are the most amazing girl I know." Winn replied. Even though they were under little light, Alex had to look down to hide her blush.

When she looked up again, her eyes instantly met his. Just as in an instinct, Winn released her hands and took his to her face, leaning in. Their lips met, sending sparkles through their whole bodies. The moment felt so perfect that Winn had trouble believing it was real. Nothing in his life had felt as right as kissing Alex. As they pulled away, they stayed standing there, foreheads touching, the moon and stars reflected by the lake being the only providers of light. Happiness took over their beings, while a peaceful environment surrounded them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're having trouble picturing a college Alex, don't worry cuz so am I. I mean, this Alex is soft, sweet, and she's dating Winn! Do we even know her? I'm sorry if it's hard for you, but my idea of her for this story was always different from the one in the show (not that I don't love her, cuz I absolutely do). I hope you can warm up for her!  
> Comment your thoughts, theories and ideas!


	9. 𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝑁𝐼𝑁𝐸

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> her cheeks slightly rosing  
> from the cold, and her smile  
> brightening any atmosphere  
> she walked by

It was the last Saturday morning before Christmas, which meant everyone was getting everything ready to celebrate amongst family and friends.

Christmas trees were lit up inside every house, all sorts of decoration lay from the grounds up to the highest ceilings. Stores were crowded with citizens urging to finish up the ultimate shopping.

Kara's favorite part was the white glowing snow that covered the whole city, resembling a big duvet. She held the view that any Christmas present would be easily beaten by a whole day under the falling snowflakes, specially if she were able to bring her favorite people along.

Any activity that involved her sister or her closest friends would always make her day better, and that was why she sat right there on the couch, next to Alex, with a blanket covering their legs and a mug filled with hot chocolate in her hands. They were attentively watching a Christmas movie on the television when Kara's cellphone started to ring, startling them both.

"Mike?" She picked up, putting it on the speaker so that she could grab the remote control and hit the pause button.

_"Hey, Kara. I was wondering if you were able to find any other information that could help us, regarding Edge...?"_ Mike replied.

"Oh my god! I completely forgot to tell you! I'm so so so so sorry, I feel so stupid!" She exclaimed, bringing her hand to her forehead, not believing her memory loss.

_"Tell me what?"_ He questioned, feeling puzzled.

"My mom passed by the day before you did. She was trying to talk me out of the investigation, and she ended up telling me that she vaguely did see the person. I mean, she didn't see her, but she was able to tell it was a woman. She said it wasn't him, and after a while I kinda saw what she meant. I believe her, Mike..."

_"Wow. I did not see that coming. Well, did she say anything else?"_ Mike inquired.

"Nothing relevant, at least." Kara responded.

_"Well, what do you wanna do? Do you have anything else in mind?"_ He asked.

"Can we maybe... put this off for a bit? I mean, my sister and I are going Christmas shopping today, and Christmas Eve is already on Monday..." Kara began explaining.

_"Shoot. I completely forgot to do that too. I should hurry up then, if I wanna find something nice for Tegan in time."_ He commented, more to himself. Alex began doing rushed gestures a bystander wouldn't get, but Kara saw it as her sister's annoying way of teasing. She pointed the phone and raised her eyebrows, as if trying to get Kara to say something. The older sister rolled her eyes as she mouthed an irritated 'okay'.

"Well, we're heading in an hour or so, do you wanna tag along?" She asked.

_"No, I don't wanna crash your plans. No need to bother."_ Kara looked at her sister as if telling her she had known from the start. Alex simply gestured again for Kara to try once more, receiving another roll of eyes.

"You won't be crashing anything. It'll be lovely to have you there. Plus, we can help you pick!" Kara insisted.

_"Really? Your sister wouldn't mind?"_ He asked, still unsure.

"Oh, I'm sure she won't. Oh, and we have awesome store recommendations. We're sort of Christmas shopping experts." She said, making them laugh.

_"I'm sure you are. Okay, umm, where do we meet? I can head to wherever you are, if you want."_ Mike suggested.

"Well I'm back at home, and by that I mean, my old home, so if you want, I can text you the address and you can meet us here when you're ready..." Kara said.

_"Sounds good. See you soon."_ He uttered.

"See you." Kara said, and hung up. "Alex, you need to get changed. I'm ready to go, but I think you need some warmer clothes."

"Yeah, okay." Agreed Alex.

Kara wore a turtleneck, gray wool sweater, a size or two bigger then hers, so that it looked more modern and elegant over her wine colored pants, as well as a matching beanie.

Alex took fifteen minutes to get ready. She left her bedroom also wearing a turtleneck, long sleeved, dark blue and pink blouse, tucked inside her jeans and a beige nylon jacket. Both sisters waited inside the house for Mike to meet them.

* * *

Alex and Mike's encounter was what one would describe as oddly embarrassing, but funny. When he got there, Kara quickly introduced him to her sister, who gave him a long stare before whispering _'well you did say he was good looking'_ in Kara's ear, making her force a chuckle as she took her hands to cover up her face, leaving Mike with a confused look.

After the three young adults met, they drove towards a shopping center that got beautifully decorated and extra crowded on the holidays. It was an open area so they could see the sky and feel the temperature the way it was.

Kara felt the cold air brush her skin and narrowed her eyes, smiling. She loved that time of the year more than anything.

"What's got you so smiley today, Miss Danvers?" Asked Mike teasingly as he watched her walking along the street.

"I just... love this time of the year. This sort of... Christmas spirit I guess." She answered, giving another soft, shy smile. Mike observed her and as he did so, he couldn't help but think of how beautiful she looked with her strands of hair that remained uncovered by the beanie floating along with the wind, her cheeks slightly rosing from the cold, and her smile brightening any atmosphere she walked by. He smiled back, his gaze soft. Alex smirked from where she was standing, and shook her head.

"Shall we stop by Starbucks? I'd pay good money for a warm drink now." The redhead suggested.

"Oh yeah, absolutely." Kara agreed.

"I'm in." Mike said as he cleared his thoughts, waking up from his brief trance.

The three of them roamed towards the coffee shop and quickly ordered their drinks. The Danvers sisters insisted that Mike let them pay for his cappuccino, his whining not being enough to persuade the girls.

After being "recharged", in the words of Kara, they headed towards the shops and started looking for gifts. Mike quickly found something he thought his sister would love. He showed it to Alex and Kara, and they immediately saw his ability to give presents. Kara felt bad for him, he only had to buy one gift, yet he had to walk around a thousand stores and endure the two sisters' shopping excitement. Mike, on the other hand, was having quite an enjoyable time, as he was intermittently amused by their constantly cheery, upbeat personality.

As time flew and the dimming sun hinted that the late afternoon was slowly turning into night, Kara and Alex finished their shopping at last, and decided to eat something at the food court.

"What do you mean you've never tasted potstickers?" Said Kara, wrathfully.

"It's like, her favorite food ever. Since she was in kindergarten." Alex pointed, chuckling.

"Oh please. My favorite food is ice cream." Kara said, jokingly rolling her eyes and making Mike almost burst into laughter.

"Well, I guess I'll have to taste them today." Mike said.

"You better." Voiced Kara, playfully throwing a threatening look.

Kara went order their food while Alex and Mike searched for a table so that they wouldn't have to eat standing up.

"So, Mike... normally at Christmas, is it just you and your sister?" Asked Alex, as the three of them were sitting at one of the tables in the middle of the food court, already beginning to eat their food.

"Yeah it's usually just us..." said Mike, staring blankly at his plate. Kara brought a supporting hand to rub his upper arm. Alex widened her eyes as she chewed some of her egg roll.

"Do you guys wanna come to our place and celebrate with us? We'll have dinner on Christmas Eve and lunch the day after..." Alex invited.

"Nah it's okay... it's kind of in the nick of time so we've already planned what we're doing anyway... I really appreciate the invitation, though." Explained Mike.

"Of course. Why don't you two join us on New Year's Eve then?" Kara suggested, sympathetically.

"I don't know... I'll need to check with Tegan, but if she's up to it, I'll let you know. Thank you again." Mike smiled, getting the same from the sisters in response. "Do you guys know if there's a bathroom here?"

"Yeah, it's right there." Alex answered, pointing the restroom.

"Okay, I'll be right back." Mike stated, leaving the table. Kara stared his way to the toilet, completely unaware of her sister's watching her.

"He's a great guy..." Alex said, waking Kara from her thoughts.

"Yeah... yeah he is..." Kara replied, tilting her head.

"Oh c'mon! When will you two assume it? You're completely into each other." Alex pointed, making Kara choke. "Kara, he likes you."

"Well, why would he? Why would a guy like him like me?" Kara asked, insecurely. Alex frowned.

"What happened to all your confidence?" She questioned.

"Honestly, I don't know..." Kara replied, looking down. Alex reassuringly embraced her with one arm, rubbing her shoulder.

"There's a million reasons why he'd like you. You're intelligent, kind, funny, beautiful and damn hot. Any guy would fall for you in a second. You're much more than you think you are right now." The younger sister assured.

"Thank you, Alex. I really don't know what's gotten into me recently." Kara replied, downcast.

After Mike returned, they got out of the food court and went walking to the parking lot, where his car was located. Mike had driven them there so they'd save time and have less probability of getting separated in traffic. Just as they were getting close, Alex felt something cold caress her cheek, followed by some drops falling on top of her hair.

"Kara." She called, poking her sister. "It's snowing." She completed, looking up. Kara copied the gesture and felt a rush of happiness fill her body. She closed her eyes and felt the snowflakes kiss her face, smiling widely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, sorry for the delay. Hope you liked this, and I'd love to hear your thoughts! have a great day/night!


	10. 𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝑇𝐸𝑁

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it was almost as if their   
> problems had brought them   
> together, like magnets

It was getting closer. Kara's favorite time of the year, Christmas. The day before it was always the most bustling and busy of the year. A ton of employees worked on and on in the Danvers mansion, nonstop. Alex tried to help as much as possible in the kitchen, despite her mother's protests. Kara worked furiously, typing in her laptop in the dining room table of her previous home. She had to hand an article over before Christmas if she wanted to be free in the holidays. She didn't understand why a reporter needed to work at Christmas Eve, yet, nothing could tear down her perfect mood.

Christmas spirit was spread everywhere. The softest songs echoed angelically in the streets. The smell of cookies and meals soared with the air, bringing a smile to every face it approached. No town seemed to have ever been so enlightened, for that Christmas housekeepers and decorators had really outdone themselves. Trees, mistletoes and lights were frequently seen, not to mention the enormous amount of green and red decoration present in every house, store or even street. The snow fell above the rooftops and painted white the tips of the trees' leaves and branches.

One would think that a woman like Kara, heart filled with anger and revenge would be despising such cheery party, but she couldn't care less. In her view, Christmas was always a magical time. A time where she had the opportunity to unite her blood family and her chosen family, as she liked to call their closest friends that often spent holidays with them. A time where she could sing, eat, hug, laugh and smile, amongst the people she liked the most, the people that made space for everyone to be true. She was determined not to let her father's death ruin that. She had much to be thankful for.

As the sky began to darken, the few people invited began to arrive. The first one was Lena Luthor. She had just turned 23 and her eyes looked like the lightest shade of blue. She was Alex's best friend and had a very elegant walk, posture and look. Since she met Alex she began to spend the holidays with the Danvers. Lena hadn't had the notion of a warm and inviting party, celebrated by a happy family before. Her father was dead, and her mother had run away with her criminal life, no one knew where she ended up. She always felt welcome when surrounded by Alex and her family, what brought great happiness to her heart.

Arriving soon after Lena, came Winn Schot. He and Alex has started dating a while before and everyone was eager to get to know him. He arrived looking nervous and not sure about how to act or what to do. Poor guy had had a disturbed childhood. His father went crazy and got arrested when he was nine. His mother took care of him, just perhaps not in the best way. She passed away when he was fifteen, and until his eighteenth birthday he lived in an orphanage, studying his hardest so that one day he could have a future and provide his family a life different from the one he had. Meeting Alex was as if a ray of sunshine had arrived at his front door. She was literally a ray of sunshine, cheering him up, listening to his opening up, comforting him when he needed. He just wanted to give something in return, and spending the holidays with her family had to be his best shot, if he didn't screw up, surely. Being welcomed with a warm smile from a golden haired woman gave him the calmness and reassurance he needed. Even if it wasn't his, he had found a family.

Alex quickly introduced him to everyone, anxiously thinking about what they would think about him. He had been the one helping her the past months, and finally getting some closure was the best Christmas gift she could ask for. She admired him for being whom he was. For being so smart and funny, even though he had gone through the worst. She felt compassion, and at the same time, pure fulfillment. Her heartbeat sped down andshe sighed in relief after her sister and best friend talked to him, getting extremely excited for her. She couldn't think of more supportive people to accompany her through her life. As to her mother, Alex knew she didn't quite aprove him, basically from her facial expression and lack of emotion, but she knew most of it had to do with her father's murder. She understood why her mother acted the way she did and was willing to give her space and time, as long as she didn't blurt out anything hurtful at her boyfriend.

Kara saw the guy and couldn't help but to relate to him. She saw herself standing there, insecure about what to think and say, how to move or do anything concerning social interaction. She was never like that before. She was super confident, secure and sure about herself. Her father's death brought a lot of unwanted feelings, that she'd have to deal with someday. Right then all that mattered for her was to make that guy feel at home and loved, besides spending time with her family. Thinking about the ones present there almost made it seem that they had found a way of making a group of people with serious and several family issues fit right in. It was almost as if their problems had brought them together, like magnets.

Even after getting some improvement, Eliza was still very closed to everything and everyone. Very quiet, very serious and somber. Both of her daughters would eventually come to her and try to cheer her up, include her in the party, to which she would precisely deny with a couple of monosyllabic words.

"So Kara, how's Sam doing?" Asked Lena once the four of them were sitting on the couches in the living room.

"Oh, it's been so long since I don't see her!" Kara replied. Sam Arias was Kara's best friend since high school, and she was always nearby. She was extremely outgoing and got along with everyone very well. "She was in England, and just returned here. I called her and she told me she's spending Christmas out of town with her parents. But I invited her to New Year's Eve, and she's coming!" She explained, excitedly smiling.

"That's wonderful!" Lena exclaimed.

"It is! Anyways, let's eat, shall we?" Kara said, standing up.

The small family joyfully ate their diner, talked, laughed and had a wonderful time. It was almost 1 a.m. when the invited began to leave, one by one. After only the Danvers remained, Alex and Eliza went quickly to their bedrooms, getting ready to sleep. However, Kara didn't feel tired, so she grabbed her laptop and sat on the couch to proofread her recent articles, when her phone went off. She grabbed it to see a message.

**Mike: hey, are you awake?**

**Kara: yeah, why?**

**Mike: nothing. just... make sure to stay awake for a little longer, okay?**

**Kara: okay🤨**

Kara frowned at that conversation. That guy must've been crazy. Or drunk, she thought. She wasn't planning on sleeping anytime soon so she just continued what she had been previously doing.

About twenty minutes later, she heard the doorbell ring. She jumped off the couch and jogged towards it. A big smile came to her face as she opened the door.

"Mike?" She asked, her eyebrows were furrowed and her crinkle appeared, but she still had the grin on. "What are you doing here? Come in." She gestured for him to enter, closing the door behind them right after.

"It's already past midnight so, Merry Christmas!" He exclaimed, opening his arms, inviting her for a hug. She gladly accepted it, chuckling.

"Merry Christmas." Kara replied. "What brings you by?" She questioned, heading towards the couch. As they both sat, the gift package in his hand didn't go unnoticed by the blonde.

"See, my sister is an early bird. So she went to sleep right after our dinner, and since I was still up I decided to come by to bring your present." Mike responded, smiling excitedly.

"Mike, you shouldn't have!" She said, surprised.

"Yes, I should." He replied. "Here." Said Mike, handing her the bag, a hint of nervousness showing in his eyes. "Hope you like it."

Kara took it from his hands and looked at it suspiciously. She didn't know what he could've given her, so she anxiously took the small box from inside the bag. There was a ribbon wrapping the box with a bow. She quickly undid the lace and opened the box.

Kara gasped as she saw what was held inside it. A delicate watch, golden in its borders, with a beige, leather wristband in which the word "always" was written with a beautiful handwriting in the left side, just like the one she had seen the day they went shopping. Tiny snowflakes surrounded the word and continued apparent in the right side wristband. It was simple, yet elegant. She felt her eyes slightly watering up as she took a hand to cover her open mouth.

"How did you know?" She whispered, still shocked.

"I saw the way you stared at it in one of the stores we went. I saw how you were yearning to buy it, but stopped yourself. It had to be it." Mike explained, smiling.

"Do you know why I wanted it so much?" Kara inquired, finally looking up from the watch and meeting his gaze.

"Well, sort of. I thought it had to do with Harry Potter, you know, the Deathly Hallows..." He responded, making her chuckle, weakly.

"Yeah, but the reason why it meant so much to me when I saw it has to do with my dad." Stated Kara, earning an interested look from Mike. "I remember when we watched the movie for the first time. It was one of those extremely rare moments where it was just the two of us, I was 18. When the movie ended, he took me in his arms and whispered that, no matter what happened, he'd always care for me, he'd always love me. Always." She whispered the last word, lost in her thoughts. "And it stuck in my memories since then. It was one of the only times in my entire life that he actually showed affection towards me." Kara completed, realizing Mike was staring at her supportingly.

"I hope I didn't make a mistake giving this to you. I don't want you to be sad every time you see it." Mike told, his smile dropping a little, but still planted on his face.

"Are you kidding me?" Kara asked, beaming radiantly. "I love it. It's the best gift ever." She said, reassuringly. "And I won't get sad seeing it. It's one of my favorite memories with him."

"Let's make a deal then. Every time you look at it and any bad feeling tries to reach you, you think about me. About our friendship. I'll always be here for you." Said Mike, smiling affectionately.

"Deal." She repeated, glancing down from the corner of her eyes. "Speaking of which, stay here, I'll go get your present. You're lucky I didn't leave it at home."

"What?" Mike questioned, surprised, but Kara had already gotten up and was rushing towards the giant Christmas tree that lay in one of the corners of the room. She bent down searching for the gifts.

"Aha! Found it." Kara exclaimed, quickly returning to the couch where Mike was sitting. She had two packages in her hands, one very small and the other a little bigger. "This first." She said, handing him the smaller one.

Mike slowly unwrapped it, unsure of what it was. Feeling it's size and texture, it seemed like paper, maybe tickets. His jaw dropped as he saw what the 'papers' were. Tickets to Hamilton. Kara giggled at his reaction.

"They're coming here on a tour." She remarked, grinning. Mike still had a shocked expression glued on his face.

"Kara, I can't accept this." He said, knowing how expensive musical tickets used to be.

"Oh please. You can and you will. I won them in a prize drawing. I bought the raffle tickets to help some institution one day. Funny thing I never win these sort of things." She said, and they both chuckled. "Of course one of them is for me, 'I'm not throwing away my shot.'" Mike laughed at her reference.

"Still, you could've given this to your sister or, I don't know, literally anyone else. Why me?" He asked.

"Well that's true, I could've dragged my sister with me, but it wouldn't have been the same thing. She wouldn't enjoy it as much as I know you will and she'd keep complaining all the time. Plus, I think you deserve it more than she does." Kara explained, smirking. "Don't tell her I told you so." She whispered, covering the side of her mouth and receiving another chuckle in response.

"Wow, thank you, thank you. I mean, this is amazing." He said, almost stuttering. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Aaaand, since I didn't actually spend money on these..." she began, grabbing the second bag. "I got you something else."

"Kara—" Mike started, but was cut off.

"No, no, no. I already bought it. Not taking it back." Kara refused. "Open it." She demanded, smiling.

Mike carefully ripped the gift-wrap, getting even more shocked when he found what was inside. It was one of the oldest editions of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. He felt as if he could cry, specially after he opened the book to leaf through it and saw it was signed in the first page.

"How— how did you even find this?" He asked, still open mouthed.

"I pulled some strings. It's amazing the power a reporter can have." She answered smiling.

"You're amazing." He whispered, pulling her in a hug. She embraced him back, beaming as she felt his slight scent touch her nose. Although she'd never admit it, she felt her cheeks burning and was pretty sure they looked strawberry red.

"Likewise." Kara replied, as she pulled away. She grabbed the box with her watch to glance at it once more. "I really, really loved this, Mike."

"I'm glad." He smiled. "Anyway, it's getting late, and I better get going, because I need to wake up early tomorrow and prepare the lunch. Thanks again, infinitely. I absolutely loved the gifts."

"You're welcome." She responded, standing up and walking him to the door. She hugged him again and said goodbye.

Later that night, she lay down in bed and caught herself lost in her thoughts. All she wanted for Christmas was him. And perhaps that watch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go! Hope you liked this!  
> I just wanted to say that I really, really appreciate reviews/comments/feedback. Boosts me to write more. Hope you’re having a good time!


	11. 𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝐸𝐿𝐸𝑉𝐸𝑁

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they had friends they were   
> happy to call family, and that   
> was more than enough

Throughout the day of Christmas, the Danvers family and their invited shared a light atmosphere, full of joy, laughter and gratitude. The food was exceptionally delicious — in the words of most people present — and one could not doubt the happiness flowing with the air.

The following days were unusually quiet. Kara and Mike had opted to postpone the investigation for the upcoming year, and enjoy the holidays with both of their families. Although it felt strange, both of them were in need of a time to relax. To free their minds from the all the tension and confusion that was solving a murder.

Kara was thrilled when Mike called her telling that he and his sister would be joining them on New Year's Eve. Her best friend, Sam had also accepted the invitation and would be there for the celebration. Kara reckoned that organizing a party in a mansion couldn't be any easier than taming a hungry lion, so she started as soon as she could, with the help of her sister and some of the employees her mother still had.

On the 31st day of December, as the night approached, Kara stood excitedly in the middle of the living room, admiring with pride the work she had put together. She smelt the comforting dinner's scent coming from the kitchen and took a look at everything around her, the ready table, decorated with fancy golden and white ornaments, the lights dancing around the room just in the right amount, the balloons and confetti matching the table accessories hanging beautifully above the ground.

Slipping her hands inside the back pockets of her flared royal blue pants, which she had paired with a white blouse, sleeves widening in the wrists, she let out a content sigh, happy with the result.

"We did quite a good job, didn't we?" Asked Alex, who had just walked in, unnoticed by a distracted Kara.

"Yeah, we did." She chuckled slightly. "We've always made a good team." Kara stated, staring at her younger sister. Her eyes sparkled brightly with joy, and Alex could sense the enthusiasm she was beaming.

"I missed spending this much time with you. It's been good to catch up." Voiced Alex, smiling truthfully.

"Come here." Kara gestured for Alex to approach, and as she did so she embraced her in a hug. "I'm always available for you. Sorry if I didn't show it these last few weeks."

"It's okay. I understand." Alex replied, as she pulled away.

Kara looked at the watch on her wrist to check the time and couldn't help the grin cracking on her face. It brought so many memories, and yet she didn't feel sad about them. It bore a special meaning, one that she was sure would cheer her up whenever she recalled it.

"It's almost time, they should be arriving soon." Kara pointed. "I'm going to check the kitchen, can you answer the door if someone arrives?"

"Sure." Alex responded.

"Thanks." The older sister replied, and with that she left.

When she came back, her eyes searched for her sister and found her standing in the middle of the room, next to two other people, whom she immediately recognized as Mike and Tegan. Gaze softening, she approached them hastily.

"Mike!" She exclaimed, heading towards him. She gave him a tight hug and pulled away to greet his sister, who looked quite pretty dressed up, with her long, wavy, dark brown her cascading above her shoulders. They kissed each other on the cheeks and Kara's sight directed to Mike once again. His eyes were a dark shade of blue, with some yellow rays around his pupil. He looked extremely excited, though anxious about the whole situation. "I'm so happy you could come!"

"We were happy to come too. Thank you for the invitation." Mike uttered, gratefully. Alex widened her eyes as if she'd remembered something.

"They brought wine!" She squealed, raising her hand that was holding the bottle. Kara opened her mouth in surprise but instantly transformed it in a radiant smile.

"Wow," She chuckled. "Thank you!"

"Oh, it's nothing." Tegan stated, waving her hand. "I figured you'd have enough champagne so I decided on this."

"Smart thinking." Said Kara, raising her eyebrows, a constant grin plastered on her face. "Please, make yourselves at home, the others should be arriving soon."

The quartet sat on one of the couches, chatting briefly to kill some time. Alex got up to bring some appetizers and the doorbell rang right after. Kara stood up to answer the door, jogging happily towards it.

"SAM!!!" She screamed, as she realized who was standing in front of her.

"KARA!" Her friend replied, copying her enthusiasm. They both jumped for a hug and swung left and right, squeezing each other's backs.

"I missed you so much!" Kara told, beaming as they separated.

"Me too." Responded Sam, smiling back. As she did so, her dimples showed, and her chocolate eyes narrowed softly. She was a beautiful woman, her height was a little bit above average, her hair formed brown locks, similar to Tegan's, though shorter and less thick.

"Come, I'll introduce you." Kara called, gesturing for Sam to follow her.

As Kara introduced Sam to Mike and Tegan, Alex returned with the snacks and soon later Winn arrived, followed not long after by Lena.

Eliza joined the group when it was time to dine, and was able to portray a delighted and caring mother, something Kara and Alex hadn't seen in a while. After everyone lively enjoyed the meal, Kara and Alex cheerfully announced the beginning of the party.

Loud, upbeat music echoed within the walls of the mansion's party room, neon lights and the sky's shining moon and stars — visible through the acrylic doors — were the only illumination present. Singing, dancing and yelling to be heard were the activities of the evening. The environment around them was fulfilling, nonetheless.

Winn and Mike had found many interests in common and were getting along really well, chatting in one of the corners of the room, drinking beers. Lena and Tegan had also bonded pretty well and were discussing work and political topics. Sam, Kara and Alex were clumsily dancing in the middle of the room, which they had set up as a dance floor.

Alex decided to go join Winn and Mike, and Kara went grabbing more drinks, followed by Sam.

"So... how did you meet Mike and Tegan?" Asked Sam, curiosity apparent in her eyes.

"Tegan works with me but um, Mike's a cop and he was taking care of my father's case. I discovered he and Tegan were siblings not long ago..." Kara answered.

"And what is it between you two?" Sam questioned, smirking.

"What?" Kara replied, cheeks burning.

"Oh come on, Kara. I know you. There's something going on." Sam insisted.

"There's nothing going on, I mean, besides our friendship." Said Kara, uncomfortably.

"Hm. I'm gonna get my answers with Alex, then." Sam hinted, raising her eyebrows. Kara opened her mouth and inhaled quickly, shaking her head slightly.

"I'm gonna get some air." She breathed, and left Sam standing there.

Kara walked hastily towards one of the sliding acrylic doors, opening it and closing it behind her. She found herself in the garden she so frequently went to when she was younger. It was extensive and beautiful, with trees and flowers, all blessed by the moonlight. She could see that despite her mother's shutdown she had been taking good care of it.

She walked for a while and when she found a bench she headed towards it, inhaling and exhaling deeply, as if to steady her shaky body and unscramble her thoughts. She was uncertain of why she had left so hurriedly. She only knew she had to get out of there as quickly as possible.

Sitting on the wooden bench, she looked up to see the gorgeous sky. It was clear as water, showing the countless stars shining above her. Soon it would be a new year, full of new obstacles and difficulties. She could do it. She was sure.

Distracted, she didn't see a person walking towards her. When he was standing right in front of the bench, she looked up, startled. However, she smiled, seeing Mike with kind eyes bearing nothing but care.

"Beautiful isn't it?" He asked, sitting next to her. She nodded in response. "My mother used to take me star gazing a lot." He told, contemplative. Kara shook her head lightly and stared at the heap of stars gracing the sky again.

"My parents didn't use to take me and my sister to... family programs or stuff like that. They were always so busy... always in meetings, fancy parties..." Kara shared, heartedly. Mike stood next to her, listening to every word and nodding in understanding. "Rarely would they do anything with us only. I think this is the first time mom let us spent New Years with whomever we wanted. She always threw a big party with lots of rich people and business partners... feels nice to change." She completed, turning her face to meet his eyes.

Although Mike couldn't understand how it was to have absent parents, he could see in her eyes that it had left a mark, a hole yearning to be filled. He wanted more than anything, to comfort her and make all her worries go away. Seeing her sad, even if just for a glimpse of a second, made his heart ache. He wasn't sure of what that meant.

"Thank you again for inviting us... I know besides us you only invited your inner circle, so it really means a lot to me." Said Mike, smiling reassuringly.

"You are inner circle, Mike. You should've known what you'd have to deal with when you took my case." Kara joked, her small smile growing wider by the second. He chuckled at her comment and shook his head.

"I guess I'm stuck with having to put up with you, then." He replied, sighing as he pretended to be annoyed.

"Yep, there's no going back now!" She guaranteed, as they both shared a loud laugh. She rested her head on his shoulder, grateful for having a friend like him in her life, and surprised that in such a short time, he changed her mood thoroughly, cheering her up without even realizing.

They heard yelling and laughter coming from somewhere in the garden, but didn't bother to leave. They were way too comfortable right where no one could interrupt such a peaceful moment. Only when they heard the countdown beginning, did they move.

Kara lifted her head from his shoulder and their gaze met. They slowly started to lean in, getting so close that they could feel the heat of each other's breaths brush their faces. Though no words were spoken, their eyes said more than anything. Mike could feel himself being unwillingly pulled towards an immensity of the most hypnotizing and intense blue he'd ever known. Desire and care, urgency and reassurance were present in their orbs. Everything seemed blurry, yet they were sure it would get a lot clearer. They were sure the world would make a lot more sense.

* * *

Tegan was walking around the garden, searching for her brother and Kara so that she could call them to see the fireworks along with everybody else. She turned right to keep walking, when her sight caught two people on a bench. She beamed to herself and approached them.

Her smile faded gradually when she noticed the proximity of her little brother and her coworker's faces, but she shrugged it off, putting the grin back on her face. Life had made her really good at hiding her emotions.

"Oh, there you are! I was searching everywhere for you!" She exclaimed, completely aware of the situation, yet seemingly oblivious. "Come, you're gonna miss the fireworks!" She waved her hand for them to follow and turned around to head back to where the others were standing.

Mike squeezed his eyes shut, mentally cursing and lamenting his sister's intermission. He wanted to punch her in the face for ruining that for him. Meanwhile, Kara nodded pressing her lips together, disappointed.

"Come on." She stood up and walked away. Mike followed soon after.

In spite of the inconvenient incident, Kara and Mike decided to enjoy the party anyway, and ignore whatever was about to happen between them. The fireworks were beautiful and the champagne tasted uniquely. Simply being in the presence of such loving people was already a gift.

They had friends they were happy to call family, and that was more than enough. They didn't want to ruin what was right there, constant in their lives.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> been a while ;) I’m so sorry tho lmao


	12. 𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝑇𝑊𝐸𝐿𝑉𝐸

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> though it didn't show his teeth or  
> reached his eyes, it was still one of  
> the prettiest smiles she'd ever seen.

"Sam thank you again, for bringing that book for me." Said Kara, as she accompanied her friend to the door. She and Lena were the only ones remaining, having stayed until later to help them clean up. "And for shipping it to me. I'm sorry for bothering, though."

"It's fine, really." Sam responded, smiling sympathetically. Kara had realized some time before that it was impossible to stand near Sam and not feel a warm, comforting energy at the same time. "Although I wonder who was worthy enough for Kara Danvers to call her friend in England asking for a signed copy of one of the oldest versions of a book." She smirked.

"Sam! Is it wrong to want to give a friend a thoughtful gift?" Asked Kara, flustered.

"Of course not." Sam responded cheekily. She took a deep breath, her features breaking into the warm smile again. "I'm sorry if I pushed you earlier. I just thought you had finally found someone. I just want to see you happy, I'm sorry." Sam explained.

"It's alright. I just... Mike and I... I really like the way our friendship works, and my life is just so confusing right now. I don't want to ruin what we have, and though that may sound really cliché, I want to be sure of who I am and what I want before I step into a relationship again..." Kara uttered. So many things seemed cloudy and overshadowed, she just needed Sam to understand. She bit her lip, looking for reassurance in her best friend's eyes. Thankfully, she found it.

"That's understandable, and I'll support you regardless. I love you." Said Sam, bearing kindness and care. The truth was, the brunette was still worried about Kara. Despite her usual rebellion, the girl used to be always so light and breezy... seeing her so lost and stuck was nothing Sam had ever forecasted witnessing. Nevertheless, the strength with which the blonde talked about finding herself was enough to assure her that she would be okay, eventually.

"I love you too." Kara replied, extending her arms for a hug. Sam gladly accepted it, and as Kara buried her face in her friend's shoulder, allowing herself feel everything she could, she felt a previously lost piece of herself return. Just like she did that time when she and Alex had a sister's night, just like she did when she opened up to Mike. In that moment, she knew that she would be alright, perhaps sooner than she thought. She just needed to hold on to those who made her feel safe and loved.

* * *

****"It just feels like we're hitting infinite dead ends!" Kara cried. She was sitting on the couch, her laptop on her legs, her eyes running anxiously from side to side. She kept chewing on her lip, while unconsciously, yet anxiously tapping her feet on the ground. Mike, at the kitchen balcony, gave her a kind look, and a small, but warm smile. "I mean... I really thought it would be Edge. It was so obvious! He had failed business with my father, a really nasty reputation and very suspicious behavior. It had to be him!"

"I know. But you see, most of the times, the culprit isn't the obvious suspect. It's just too easy. We can't stop digging, we can't give up. We'll get through this." He reassured, firmly. "There has to be something here."

While the former officer flipped through old articles and headlines, the blonde woman searched the web for anything that could help them through that. Suddenly, Mike lifted his head, as if he realized something.

"Hey! Can you look Kristen Cory up?" He questioned.

"Yeah, okay. What does it say about her?" Asked Kara, back.

"Nothing much. It's just that this is the third article that mentions her and your father simultaneously..." Mike clarified.

"Woah, at least that's something." The reporter remarked. "Do you see any dates?"

"Let me check." Kara watched as he flipped back some pages, and his fingers roamed to the headline of the paper. "This one is from November 23rd, 1990." He searched for the other articles, his brow furrowed in concentration. "These two are also from 1990. October 30th and November 15th."

"That's a few months before my parents got married... what do they say?" Asked Kara. Mike eyed her with concern etched around his face. "What is it?"

"Well these are a bunch of gossip columns. Apparently your father and her had a romance going on. It ended abruptly and she moved to the countryside." It was Kara's turn to frown.

"What did she work with?" She questioned.

"She was an actress. Seemingly successful, even." He explained.

"Does it say anything specific? Like how they broke up or...?" Kara asked.

"Hmm... there are speculations that umm..." Mike started, uncomfortably. He didn't want to hurt the woman in front of him, bringing fresh wounds up. However, deep down he knew she needed to be aware.

"It's okay... you can tell me." She stated, as if reading his mind. He sighed.

"There are speculations that your father left her for your mother, and got married soon after. We can't know if it's true, though."

"Probably is." Kara muttered, a wave of sadness mixed with longing crossing her eyes. She hung her head low, while telling herself that it was silly and she shouldn't feel bad or surprised to learn what she did. She knew her father, knew what he was capable of, she should've expected that not even his love life had been normal.

Watching her shoulders fall, her face contort, her eyes become blurred, Mike closed his eyes, disappointed that he couldn't find a better way to tell her and ended up upsetting her. Realizing that her mind had drifted off, she quickly shook her head. "I'm sorry."

Mike motioned negatively with his head, implying that she had nothing to apologize for. He got up from the kitchen balcony, moving to her side on the couch. He took her laptop from her hands and placed it on the coffee table, making her look at him.

"Look," his eyes were comforting and understanding and _beautiful..._ she noticed, and instantly waved the thought away. "It's okay to feel upset. I know you're beating yourself up because you think you should've known before what kind of a person he was," — how did he know her so well already? — "But there was no way you could've known. And I also know you think it's foolish, but it's not. We are raised to believe that our parents are our role models, and learning otherwise is truly disappointing.

"I never really knew my father, and when I realized what kind of a jerk he was, I was devastated. You just have to hold on to the good things he did. He brought your sister and you to this world, that's-that's something, right? Plus, as I've said before, I'm here for you, whenever this new knowledge starts feeling too heavy and burdening, you can come to me. You can come to me anytime, in fact."

Kara smiled, sincerely, and grabbed his hand, squeezing it in thanks. He felt his stomach twisting and goosebumps on the place of contact, but he ignored the clear reactions, just as Kara ignored the sudden heat creeping up her cheeks.

"Thank you. For real." He gave her a small, but true smile back. Though it didn't show his teeth or reached his eyes, it was still one of the prettiest smiles she'd ever seen.

"So... do we chase our suspect? Are you okay with that?" His posture changed abruptly and he was back to the joyous and carefree Mike he was.

"Yeah. Let's do this." She answered, feeling ready to face the world.

"You sure?" He raised a brow.

"Yeah." She grinned.

"Okay. First off, we need to decide how we're going to do this. Do we look for proof ourselves? Do we go to her? Do we learn about her first?" Suggested Mike. Kara seemed thoughtful for a moment.

"I think we should study her a bit. Our method should depend on how she acts." She replied.

"You're right." Mike agreed.

The pair leafed through the articles together again, searched for more information on the web, in an attempt to figure the woman out. Mike turned to look at Kara.

"All these interviews she gave, all the comments on her... although there is something suspicious about this whole running away thing, she seems like a peaceful woman." He remarked.

"So you think we should look for her and ask ourselves?" Kara questioned.

"Yeah... I mean, I'm not saying that she'll answer, but at least we can have a look and watch how she acts around us. Body language tells a lot. At least we'll have something to part from." Explained Mike.

"Okay." She stopped for a minute. "But for that we need her location, and so far we only know she moved to Argo."

"Yeah... to be honest, Argo is not that big, it shouldn't be hard to find her." Mike stated.

"Still Mike, we can't go there with no reference point. It'll take hours!" She exclaimed, and hearing her, he agreed. "Lucky for us, I know someone who can help us. You remember Winn, right?" Kara asked.

"Your sister's boyfriend?" He replied, seeing her nod. "Yeah, I remember. Really nice guy!"

"His meddling and hacking skills put mine on the floor." Mike raised his eyebrows, unconvinced, and she chuckled at the sight. "I can give him a call... it'll take minutes." She clarified.

"Okay." He gave in.

* * *

****Having accomplished to get an address with Winn, the pair decided to go on a quick road trip to Argo City. Kara said goodbye to Mike, so that he could gather the things he'd need and they could leave the next day.

* * *

_"Hello?"_ Alex answered her sister's call.

"Hi Alex, I just called to let you know that I'll be going to Argo today. Mike and I think we have a suspect there."

_"Oh. Okay... don't do anything stupid!!"_ Alex exclaimed, teasingly.

"I won't, don't worry." Kara giggled.

_"Okay. Be safe!"_

"You too. Bye, I love you."

_"Me too."_ Kara hung up.

* * *

****_"Tegan Smith, who's calling?"_ Mike chuckled at his sister's professionalism. She would never drop her act at work, not even for her little brother.

"Hi Tegan, it's Mike."

_"_ _Oh! Hey! Is everything okay?"_

"Yes, I'm good. What about you?"

_"I'm good too. Just busy."_ Of course. He chuckled again.

"That's good to hear, I guess. Anyway, I was just calling to tell you that I'm going on a road trip today, but I'll be back tomorrow, if everything goes alright. No need to worry, though."

_"Are you gonna tell me the reason for this trip?"_

"I'm helping Kara find her murderer. Poor girl's been through a lot these past months."

_"Is that the only reason you're helping her, though?"_

"Well that, and the fact that she's my friend, I want to see her happy. What else would it be?"

_"I don't know, Mike. You're not on duty anymore. You have no obligation to do this. You could get in trouble. Like I told you, this is a dangerous family. You are already suspended, you don't want to be fired for real."_ Mike sighed.

"I know that I'm doing the right thing, okay?Hopefully my superiors will see it too. Once we catch the killer, I can get my job back as well. Don't worry, okay?"

_"If you say so."_ Tegan hung up. Mike brought his hands to his face, sighing once again. He'd have to do something in regards to his and his sister's relationship, but it would have to wait, he had to focus on the case for the time.

* * *

"Hey!" She greeted as she opened the door. She hugged Mike, and returned his vibrant smile with a shy one of her own.

"Are you ready?" He asked, noticing her bag behind her.

"Yeah! Let's go find our villain!"

"Bangarang!" He exclaimed, and Kara burst into laughter, as Mike helped her carry the bag.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so sorry for the long wait... lemme know if you're enjoying this story!


	13. 𝐶𝐻𝐴𝑃𝑇𝐸𝑅 𝑇𝐻𝐼𝑅𝑇𝐸𝐸𝑁

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> his eyes pierced hers as if  
> hoping that she'd see how grateful he  
> was, and she could only nod at that

The wind graciously wrecked her golden hair, while the sun blessed its color with light. What a wonderful sight she was, Mike thought. The background music coming from the radio embraced them both, creating a cozy and intimate atmosphere, and they were just beginning the trip. Neither of them had ever bonded as quickly with another person as they did with each other.

The song playing came to an end, and a familiar intro followed.

"Oh c'mon!" Said Kara, looking sideways at Mike. He returned the glance by the corner of his eye and a wide grin spread out on his face, consequence of his attempt to contain his laughter. "Turn it up!" They both burst out laughing as Mike adjusted the volume higher.

_"Theodosia writes me a letter every day"_ They both sand at the sound of "Wait for it", from the musical they planned on watching soon.

_"I'm keeping the bed warm while her husband is away_  
_He's on the British side in Georgia_  
_He's trying to keep the colonies in line_  
_But he can keep all of Georgia_  
_Theodosia, she's mine_

_Love doesn't discriminate_  
_Between the sinners_  
_And the saints_  
_It takes and it takes and it takes_  
_And we keep loving anyway_  
_We laugh and we cry_  
_And we break_  
_And we make our mistakes_  
_And if there's a reason I'm by her side_  
_When so many have tried_  
_Then I'm willing to wait for it_  
_I'm willing to wait for it"_

They sang together to the lyrics they knew so well. When they reached the chorus, they were unabashedly screaming with all their hearts.

_"Wait for it_  
_Wait for it_  
_Wait for it_

_I am the one thing in life I can control"_ Kara flipped her hair, dramatically enacting the lyric. Mike was cracking, tears of laughter and joy coming from his eyes.

_"Wait for it_  
_Wait for it_  
_Wait for it_  
_Wait for it_  
  
_I am inimitable_  
_I am an original"_ It was Mike's turn to play. Recomposing, he danced to the music, spreading his arms and shaking his whole body in the rhythm, all while belting along with a mock expression. Kara laughed hard, her stomach aching from the action, tears coming from her eyes as well.

_"Wait for it_  
_Wait for it_  
_Wait for it_  
_Wait for it_

_I'm not falling behind or running late_

_Wait for it_  
_Wait for it_  
_Wait for it_  
_Wait for it_

_I'm not standing still_  
_I am lying in wait_

_Wait_  
_Wait_  
_Wait"_  
  
It was a relatable song, if they were being honest. Although they weren't waiting to chase the paths they chose, they had to keep calm and let time help with the job, avoid stress and everything that comes with it without hesitating to make the choices they made.

As the song came to an end, they took their time to let their breathing even after their continuous and intensive session of laughter. Kara used both hands to wipe her eyes while Mike used the one not driving to do the same. They chuckled slightly once again.

"We'd make a pretty good team in karaoke night, don't you think?" Kara asked, beaming.

"Absolutely." He agreed, not being able to contain his chuckles again. "No seriously, we've got to make that happen." He said with mock seriousness, making her giggle. He let out a content breath and turned to the road again. They fell into a comfortable silence, until Kara decided to break it.

"So, are you excited to see Hamilton in the end of the month?" She asked, looking at him.

"You have no idea." He responded, turning briefly towards her. His lips tipped up in a smile, one that bore joy and anticipation.

"I think I might." Kara stated, laughing lightly. She couldn't help but notice the way his gray-blue eyes shone adorably with a weightlessness she rarely noticed on him, the way the corners of his lips remained turned up, as if he was utterly satisfied and happy.

"I can't thank you enough, Kara. Really." Mike said, as he glanced at her, seriously this time. His eyes pierced hers as if hoping that she'd see how grateful he was, and she could only nod at that, caught off guard by such intensity.

"Well, considering that I'm gonna have quite some fun as well, I think we should be even. I don't know if I'd enjoy it as much if you weren't going with me. I look forward to sharing this with a fellow fan, rather than dragging someone who'd be there just for my sake. So, thank you." She voiced, playfully — but kindly — patting his arm. He chuckled at that, raising a brow.

"You're welcome, then." Mike uttered, shrugging as he turned to the road again. Kara found herself grinning with him once more.

Throughout the trip they sang more songs together, shared some laughter and talked, until Kara fell asleep. Mike smiled at the sight, deciding to let her sleep until they got there and he had to wake her up.

* * *

"Hey!" Alex said, opening the door to her house to her best friend.

"Hey, Alex." Lena replied, smiling warmly. "How are you?"

"I'm good, thanks! You?" Alex asked.

"Good too. So, are we gonna have that movie night you promised a century ago or what?" Lena questioned, playfully annoyed.

"Agh I'm so sorry. It's just... things have been so crazy and intense that I haven't really gotten as much time to hang out as I'd like to." Alex explained, looking down.

"Hey, it's okay." Lena comforted, caressing her friend's arm. "I completely understand. I mean, look at everything that's gone on these last couple of months. I know better than anyone what this kind of family drama is like." She offered a caring smile. "Plus, you've got a new boyfriend, that's got to use some of your free time, right?" She completed, cheekily. Alex opened her mouth, trying to cover her embarrassment with fake outrage, but gave in after the glare she got in response.

"Yeah, I supposed you're right. Thank you for the support, by the way. It means a lot." Said Alex, meaningfully.

"What are friends for?" Lena replied, shrugging.

After settling down on the couch with take out food, comfy blankets, hot chocolate and the movie ready, Lena turned to Alex, as if to enter a certain topic.

"So... now that we've finally found some time..." She began with a smirk. "Tell me more about this boyfriend guy." Alex snorted at that, trying to hide a big grin.

"He's... everything. I mean, he's always so caring and sweet. And he's a dork as well. I never cease to get impressed by how far he's come, how kind he can be. He's so smart, and he had such an awful past... anyone would've been broken, and I believe even he was... but he managed to overcome it all and become this amazing person... it strikes me hard till now." Alex explained. Her expression was the perfect example of a heart eyed, passionate and proud girlfriend. Lena nodded, smiling truthfully and reassuringly.

"You have no idea how happy I am to hear that. I hope he treats you right though, otherwise he's gonna have some trouble!" She exclaimed, making them both chuckle heartily. "And what about Kara... how is she?" Lena questioned.

"Well... I think she's better. You know, with this whole situation with dad... she was pretty shaken." Alex said.

"Is she still trying to solve the case?" Asked Lena. Alex sighed.

"Yeah. She's trying to balance work and this mystery... I just hope she finds time to herself, you know? Although she seemed lighter these days." She explained.

"Who were those siblings, on New Year's Eve?" Lena questioned once more.

"Oh! Those were Mike and his sister, Tegan." Alex replied.

"And... who's this Mike?" Lena raised a brow.

"Right. He was the cop responsible to take care of the case. Though helping her got he suspended for some reason and now they're working together as... friends." Alex responded.

"You don't sound convinced." Lena remarked, suggestively.

"She's just... so much more joyful when he's around. Or when she's talking about him. I'm pretty sure she likes him, she's basically admitted it herself, but she won't make a move." Said Alex, rolling her eyes.

"And why's that?" Lena frowned curiously.

"She claims she's afraid of losing their friendship. Which, if you ask me, is a whole load of crap." The redhead affirmed.

"You're right." Lena chuckled. "It's the most cliché excuse ever. Like, the one used in every single high school rom com." Alex nodded in agreement.

"See? At least one person who agrees with me!" Alex cried. "Plus, I watched them interact. It's clear that he likes her back."

"This is so unlike Kara. From what I remember, she was always the bold one. Super confident, sometimes rebel, but never unsure of her actions." The brunette noted, lost in her memories.

"Yeah... dad's death just... messed with her a lot. She lost so much confidence and self-esteem that's unbelievable." Said Alex. "But I believe she's getting better. Regaining lost parts of herself, you know?"

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm sure she'll be back completely in no time." Lena reassured. After a pause, she decided she should check on her friend's wellbeing as well. "What about you, Alex? How are you handling all this?

"I'm alright, much better than my mom or Kara. I think I just came out as the calmest, most detached member of the family." She explained.

"Are you sure you don't wanna talk about it?" Lena asked.

"Yeah. I have my own way of handling things. That means taking some time for myself and doing the things I enjoy and try to make myself relax. Thankfully I know that, and was able to do so as soon as I could. I'm all better now." She smiled.

"Well I'm glad. If everyone in the world handled things as you do, we'd be in a much better place." The blue eyed girl stated.

"Yeah but that's just not how things work, you know? Our differences are what makes us special, and because of them, each one of us acts on their own way. I just hope Kara finds her perfect place of mind." Said Alex.

"She will. Don't worry, she's strong." Lena remarked.

"You're right. Meanwhile, let's get started with this movie marathon, shall we?"

"You got it girl!"

* * *

"Hey Kara, time to wake up." He said softly, while lightly nudging her in the arm. She started stirring awake, moving her arms to stretch. Mike chuckled watching her looking adorable, with her eyes only briefly open and trying to stifle a yawn.

"Hey there, sleepyhead." Mike said once more, this time grinning widely. Kara tried to ignore the way his huge, gorgeous smile and his voice, resonating so softly, feeling so right, so... as if it belonged right then and there, sent shivers through her entire body.

"Wh-where am I? What's..." yawn. "What's happening?" She asked, letting out a small laugh. _Boy, she's adorable_ , Mike thought. Shaking his head, he shot her another smile, chuckling with her.

"Umm, you're in my car, we just arrived in Argo, and we're about to find our next suspect." He clarified.

"Oh, right." They chuckled again.

"Are you hungry? We could try to find some café here and grab some food before we have to begin our 'mission'." Mike suggested.

"God, you know me so well." Said Kara, stretching her arms as she yawned once more.

"Okay then. Let's have a look around the city." He stated.

"I'll try to fix my hair in the mean time." She said, giggling.

"Nah it looks fine." Mike said, earning a death stare in response. He straightened up, wanting to approach a more serious matter. "Hey, Kara, I hope you know that it's okay not to be okay with this whole thing. Just try to keep an open mind okay? We don't know anything about this woman, I mean, not her real character anyway. I guess what I'm trying to say is, you're allowed to feel whatever your heart deems right. And I'll be here for you, no matter what happens, okay?"

"Thank you, Mike. It truly means a lot. I think I'm gonna need that, regardless of what we find out." Kara replied, smiling gratefully.

"Anytime." He said, dropping one hand from the wheel to squeeze hers. She squeezed back, appreciating the gesture, but couldn't contain the blush creeping up her cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is the last chapter I had finished. I wrote it a long, long time ago, and haven't really written anything else for this story since then. Frankly, I don't know if I should continue it, do you guys think I should? Thank you for reading, have a nice day :)
> 
> Follow me on twitter: solelymaria


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